Do's and Don't's
by PrincessOfDestiny18
Summary: The morning after the night before, Ash is left to deal with the consequences of his actions...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi there! This is my first multi-chapter fic, it's just a stupid little idea that came to me whilst watching Love Actually and this is the result. This chapter is painfully short, but this is basically an introduction, and I wanted to keep it short and sweet. Anyway, I hope you like it, and I'll try to update soon. However, I am currently in the midst of University exams (such fun, right?) so please bare with me :) Enjoy!**

* * *

Shit.

Ash, you've really screwed up this time.

I don't regret what happened; I regret the amount of people I've hurt in the process.

I woke up around eleven, an hour before I was meant to be at the church. As my eyes adjusted to my surroundings, I realised that the hotel room I had previously thought was in my dreams, was in fact in my reality. My movements suddenly became frantic; knowing that chaos was probably ensuing back home. Grabbing my phone, my suspicions were confirmed; 24 missed calls, 15 text messages, 9 voicemails. Oh crap.

I didn't bother checking who had tried to call me, or the content of the text messages or voicemails. I began to mentally recite possible people to call...

Mom? Oh god no; she might know best, but she'd lecture me for at least fifteen minutes before she gave me anything remotely relating to a solution.

Brock? Brock would be disappointed in me too, but he would be more focussed on solving the issue first, then completely kick my ass later. Brock was like a big brother to me; he'd got me out of serious shit before, and it seemed like I was going to need him again.

So now, I'm mentally preparing myself to say last night's events out loud. In the spur of the moment, Misty and I had eloped. We weren't even together anymore, but last night, fuelled by the ecstasy of a spontaneous, passionate love making session, we eloped.

Now, that doesn't sound _too_ bad...

It's the fact that she's meant to be marrying another man in fifty two minutes that might be the problem.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you to all who've read/reviewed/favourited/followed the story so far :)**** I'm going to be honest with you, I only have a vague idea of where this is going, so apologies if it doesn't go quite as well as I'd hoped. I haven't done a multi-chapter story before and I'm still finding my confidence as a writer. Anyway, without further ado, here's Chapter Two! That rhymed. Awesome.**

* * *

Ash groaned, trying desperately to think of a solution. He knew he needed to call Brock, but even though he knew his old friend would be as caring as ever, Ash still feared the breeder's reaction. Suddenly, he heard Misty stir beside him and for the first time that morning he was consciously aware he was not the only presence in the bed, and the reason that he was this situation in the first place. His body was engulfed with guilt as he realised he'd failed to see the happiness of the circumstances.

Misty was facing away from him, so as he wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head beside her, he was met with the wonderful scent of her auburn hair. He tenderly kissed his bride's cheek, whilst she continued to sleep peacefully, her radiance captured by the sunlight spilling through the crack in the curtains, framing her face in a border of light. Ash looked down at her lovingly, smiling gently to himself.

"Once we're through this, I'm going to make sure we get our happily ever after," he whispered into her ear.

Seeing his new wife's beauty had caused Ash's determination to be reborn. Gently removing himself from Misty, he grabbed his phone from the nightstand and made his way to the bathroom. The hotel room was pristine, with antique furnishings and a beautiful cream and red colour scheme. He grabbed his jeans from the scarlet, vintage couch that was opposite the bed Misty still resided in. As quietly as he could, Ash shut the bathroom door and pulled on his jeans, then proceeded to sit on the toilet seat and stare at his phone absently. After some hesitation, he slammed down the call button having pulled up Brock's contact details.

He could feel his heart beat heavily in rhythm with the dial tone. Silently, he prayed Brock would answer soon for the fear of a heart attack was coming on.

"Hello?"

Brock's voice turned out to not be as soothing as Ash had hoped; he only became more panicked when the breeder's words reached his ears.

"Ash? Are you there? Where are you, man?! You were meant to be at mine like an hour ago!"

Ash took a deep breath. "Brock, are you ready for a story?"

* * *

Ash was stunned at how unsurprised Brock had been. He knew that he and Misty were a couple once, and everyone did expect them to get married eventually, but another man was waiting for her at the altar! Ash had anticipated this would elicit at least a molecule of shock from his old friend, however, Brock seemed almost entirely unfazed. In fact, his prominent emotion was disappointment; he'd missed out on seeing his two best friends wed. Ash sighed, knowing all too well this wasn't the celebration any of them had hoped for. He vowed, for the sake of his wife, mother and friend, he would fix this, somehow.

* * *

As he predicted, Brock wasted little time lecturing him over the situation and instead helped him formulate a plan.

"We need to keep Ben out of the church," Ash stated. "I want this be as subtle as possible; I don't want to make a scene."

"No, I agree," Brock said. "But he's due at the church in fifteen minutes..."  
Ash groaned. He _had _to marry Misty the night before the wedding, didn't he? Things were going to be extremely difficult.

"Can you do your best to stall him? I don't care what you do. I'll try and get there as soon as possible."

"I'll do my best, Ash. Have you considered how you're going to tell the guests?"

Ash sighed. "We'll deal with that when it comes to it. Right now, the main priority is telling Ben in the most sensitive and appropriate way possible."

"Okay. I'll get down to stalling, get here as soon as you can okay?"  
"Will do, thanks so much Brock, I owe you a million for this."  
"No problem. Oh, and Ash?"  
"Yeah?"

"Congratulations."

* * *

Ash hung up the phone and let out a long sigh. His determination was already dwindling; strangled by anxiety and hopelessness. He knew he was going to have to destroy a man's dreams in a just a few hours, if that, and even if he wasn't fond of Ben, he never wanted be the cause of another human's heartbreak.

"Ash?"

He wasn't sure how long she'd been stood there, but he knew it wasn't long enough to have heard any of his conversation with Brock. She was leaning against the doorway, her white nightdress cascading down her like a waterfall, completed by her gorgeous long legs. Her face, although etched with drowsiness was still beautiful to him, her gorgeous cerulean eyes hypnotising him. For a second, he almost forgot the task at hand.

"Mist, we need to go."

The realisation struck her like a thunderbolt; she was awake. "Shit... Shit, shit shit!"

She was frantic now, and he could tell. He quickly stood and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly; he just wanted to shield her from the world. He gently rocked her for a few minutes, whispering soothing words into her ear, until eventually her hysterics began to recede.

"It's going to be okay, I promise. I've spoken to Brock; he's going to stall Ben getting to the church and we're going to go talk to him like mature adults, okay? You trust me, don't you?"

She nodded, her eyes locking with his. Sighing, she said desperately. "Are you sure this is what you want? Are you sure I'm what you want?"

He chuckled gently at her words, bringing her into him once more, and then whispered in her ear.

"I've never been so certain of anything in my life."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry, I realise it's a bit slow to start. I promise it's going to pick up very soon :) I hope, anyway, haha.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Another update! I've got my life back now thanks to exams being over, and you have no idea how happy I am about that. I do, however, start lectures again on Monday (hence why I'm banging out updates like they're going out of fashion) so I may, once again, take a while to update, sorry! Anyway, here's Chapter Three. Thank you once again to everyone who read/reviewed/etc. :)**

* * *

The car ride was tense. Ash and Misty had been silent for a good ten minutes now, and their journey was approaching its end. Misty hadn't said a word the entire trip, she'd simply nodded her head or made an incoherent sound to respond to Ash's desperate attempts at conversation. He had just wanted to distract her from her thoughts about the impending events of the day, but after a while Ash realised his efforts were in vain, and left her to stare out of the window instead.

Droplets of rain dashed down the window, Misty's eyes following in their wake. The only sound breaking the silence between the couple was the crashing of rainfall against the car roof. Ash stole a quick glance at his wife and couldn't help but sigh. Her wedding dress was laid on the back seat, still as beautiful and elegant as it had been the previous evening, but the mood surrounding it had completely altered. Ash was wearing his suit jacket and shirt from the night before, his bow tie stuffed into his pocket carelessly. He was lucky that he'd been at a League dinner before he went to Misty's last night, else he would have got married in a t-shirt; he was still appalled he'd wed Misty in jeans.

'Mom's going to kill me about that,' he thought solemnly. He wasn't sure whether she was going to be angrier about her absence from the ceremony or his attire for the event. The more he thought about the service, the more upset he got. Personally, he wasn't too concerned about how he got married; he now shared his name with the love of his life and that was all that mattered to him, but he knew that his mother and Misty had been dreaming of the perfect wedding day for years.

Ash was about to break the heavy silence between the pair, when his mobile began to ring loudly, shattering the quiet in an instance. He pulled into a nearby lay-by, figuring Misty wouldn't be in the mood to talk to anyone, and pulled out his phone. Brock's name was lit up on-screen and Ash felt his heart drop.

"Yeah?" he said, attempting to sound as casual as possible.

"Ash, we've got a problem."

Ash, attempting to shield Misty from further upset, continued his charade. "Okay," he spoke calmly. "Daisy showed up at my place, asking if I'd seen Misty. I told her I hadn't, but tried to reassure her everything was going to be fine. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to understand my hinting and then proceeded to ask where you were. That would have been fine, but Ben had turned up at mine at this point to get the car to the church and well... He put two and two together, man. He doesn't know you're married of course, but he's figured out you two are together and given by this point Misty was meant to be at the church, he knows she's going to stand him up."

Ash inhaled sharply. "Right. So now what?"

Brock coughed awkwardly. "Well, he said he was going to the church... I think he wants a bit of payback for Misty standing him up, and he's going to out you all in front of everyone."

Ash sighed heavily; he had a feeling that talking this out like mature adults was no longer an option. "Well, that's fine; he can do that if he wants to. It's not a big deal, I guess..."  
"I'm not sure if Misty will see it that way," Brock said, bluntly. Ash sighed again. He was right; Misty was going to feel humiliated; this hardly portrayed her in the best way, and even if nothing could tarnish the opinion her friends and family held for her, he knew she would see it differently. Even before she'd married him the night before, she'd expressed concern of the implications of leaving Ben at the altar.

"We'll deal with it," Brock continued, sensing Ash's concern for his wife. "Together."

* * *

"Ash, what are we doing here?" Misty said, somewhat panicked. They had just pulled up outside of the church, in which Misty was meant to be wed over an hour previously.

Ash sighed. "Mist, Ben knows something's gone on between us and he's come here to try and give us our penance. Stay here, okay? I'll deal with it."

Misty reached over and grabbed his arm and his eyes magnetised to hers. "No way, this is our mess. As husband and wife, we need to deal with things together. I appreciate you trying to protect me, but it's my fault we're in this situation. If anyone stays in the car, it's you."

Ash groaned, knowing his wife's fiery attitude was difficult to deter.

"Fine, let's go," he said, defeated, reaching for the door handle.

"Wait!" he turned to meet her eyes once more. "Don't you think we should get rid of these first?" Misty said, holding up her left hand outwards to reveal the jelly, red and white ring on the end of her marriage finger. Ash scoffed lightly, shaking his head with a sad smile on his face as he looked down at his hand.

"God, how do you not feel completely screwed over by our wedding? You could have been married in a beautiful church, with gold rings, and instead we had a shotgun wedding with Haribo!"

"Because I married the man I love, that's why," Misty said defiantly. "Stop!"

Ash paused, his mouth agape like a Magikarp. "What?" he said, his voice slightly adjusted due to the presence of the candy ring in his mouth.

"Don't eat your wedding ring!" She said, extracting it from his mouth and delicately placing it in a tissue beside hers. "I want to keep them forever."

Ash's face turned to disgust. "You girls and your romance, I'll never get it."

* * *

"Ready?" Ash asked, turning to face the red-headed beauty beside him. They were stood outside the church, impending disaster hovering over them like the rain clouds above their heads.

"As I'll ever be," Misty said. Ash squeezed her hand reassuringly, and then pushed the church doors open with a fair amount of force. The whole room turned to face the pair as they walked down the aisle, a few getting on their feet to get a better view; they knew a show was about to unfold.

Ash ignored the audience of people, instead looking at his flustered best friend, who had evidently faced a grilling from the groom. Said groom was beside Brock, fury etched across his features, stood at the altar. Ben was a tall man, with a fairly wide build, and was quite muscular. He had spiked blonde hair and deep sapphire eyes, which now burned into the black-haired male approaching him. Ash wasn't phased; he felt pity for the man even if he did despise him. In Ash's opinion, losing Misty was the worst punishment anyone could face.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to show up! Hey, wifey!" Ben spat sarcastically, his booming words echoing around the large church. Misty said nothing, simply stared back at the man. Her face was emotionless, but Ash and Brock saw the fear in her eyes. Ash silently wished he hadn't left Pikachu at home; this guy deserved a serious thunderbolt.

"Look Ben, we wanted to talk to you about this maturely, like adults, so why don't we just get out of here and-"

"HA!" Ben interrupted. "You want to be mature about this? A mature adult wouldn't run off with my wife the night before our wedding!"

The crowd were stunned. Ben had bitterly informed them his bride-to-be had made a decision that did not involve him, but he'd been shabby on the details, waiting for Misty's arrival, wanting to cause her as much embarrassment as possible.

"I think she had every right to after what you've done," Ash growled.

Brock looked at him, begging for answers, but Ash kept his focus on Ben, standing in front of Misty protectively.

Ben merely chuckled. "She only got what she deserved. You know what, feel free to have her Ash, she's worthless anyway. An ugly skank who-"

Ash had heard enough. He lunged forward, spitting threats at the blonde male, who was mirroring his steps. Brock ran between them, grabbing Ash by the shoulders, attempting to restrain him. Misty let her tears fall freely now, begging Ash to stop in case he got injured. Delia dutifully ran from the stands to the younger woman, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Brock will protect him, don't worry," she whispered. "He looks at Ash like a younger brother."

Misty didn't respond, simply continued to stare at the males in front of her, two of them acting like a pair of rabid Arcanine; teeth bared, ready to devour.

Ben changed his tactic, knowing Brock would never release Ash, or allow him to be hurt, he set his sights for Misty. He ran past the two other men and headed straight for the only two females stood in the aisle. Ash broke free from Brock's grip, which had loosened in panic, and lurched at Ben. Wrapping his arms around his legs, he managed to tackle Ben to the ground.

"If you think you're ever hitting Misty again, you've got another thing coming!" Ash roared.

The room fell into silence. One side of the room, the one occupying Misty's friends and relatives, held a collective of shock, despair and anger. Meanwhile, the other side of the room, which held Ben's relations, looked appalled and ashamed. Suddenly, everyone wordlessly praised Misty's decision.

"Ash, I've changed my mind," Brock spoke angrily. "Let's kick the shit out of him."

* * *

**A/N: I love badass Brock, I can't wait to write the next part. Thank you again for all your lovely support, and I hope you liked this new instalment!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: First of all, I'm so sorry it's been a while since I've updated; I had planned to get this posted by Wednesday, but things have been a little hectic since getting back to Uni, and I've been so tired. I did finish this a couple of days ago, but I really didn't like it, so I've changed it around a bit. I'm still not overly keen, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! I also want to thank everyone for your continuous support; I'm genuinely overwhelmed by how lovely people have been, so thank you much!**

* * *

Ben wasted no time racing for the exit of the church, Ash and Brock following in his path, not far behind. The rest of the congregation was still left stunned by the recent revelation and just as Misty was about to follow her love, she felt a firm hand on her shoulder that spun her round. It was her sister Daisy, who held her tightly against her as she cried into her hair.

"Why did you not tell us, Misty? We would have helped you," she spluttered through sobs. Tracey stood behind his wife, placing a hand on both her and his sister-in-law's shoulders. Violet and Lily, both visibly upset also, stood beside their sisters.

"I was scared," Misty whispered, her own tears flowing freely once more.

Delia's eyes became pooled with tears as she watched the scene, fighting her own urges to envelop the red-head in a hug. Her hands entwined over her heart, Delia let out a deep sigh and she shut her eyes tightly, tears rolling down her cheeks. She only wished Ash had saved Misty sooner.

* * *

Outside, Ash had tackled Ben to the ground, both of them now drenched in mud. Ben managed to stand up quickly, but was not fast enough to escape a swift punch from Brock. Brock would normally condemn violence, and he would definitely not get involved in a fight, but he saw Misty as a little sister and any man who dared lay a finger on her deserved a great deal of punishment.

"Let me have him, Brock," Ash snarled as he marched forward, and the breeder made no attempt to stop the younger male. Misty, her sisters, Tracey, Delia and the rest of the guests had appeared in the church doorway, leaving a flabbergasted Priest inside, watching the scene unfold. Ash had managed to pin Ben against the stone wall that surrounded the church grounds, and the pair were viciously throwing punch after punch at one another. The rain continued to pour down, their hair now stuck to their foreheads. A crack of thunder sounded loudly overhead as Ash threw the blonde to the floor.

"You're absolute scum!" he roared over the rain and thunder. "You come anywhere near my wife again and I'll kill you with my bare hands!"

At this, Misty ran out, unable to bear anymore. She screamed Ash's name, but Brock grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her, in a tight but tender manner. She frantically tried to escape him, but Brock was strict, telling her that he would stop him when he felt Ben had gotten what he deserved, or if Ash was in serious danger.

Brock, Misty and Ash were, naturally, the only three who weren't currently wide-eyed at Ash's exposure of his marriage to Misty. There were murmurs amongst the crowd; Ben's family mumbled distastefully about Misty, whilst Misty's guests were all secretly pleased, if not a little astonished. Daisy, Violet and Lily shared a collective look of surprise and intrigue at Ash's words. Realising their surprise was mutual, Daisy turned to Delia.

"Did you know they were married?" she whispered.

"No," Delia murmured in response, keeping her focus on her struggling daughter-in-law and enraged son. Rain thumped to the ground harshly, and Misty's hair was now almost brunette from being saturated with water. She was screaming at Brock to stop Ash and, realising the hysterical state that she was in, Brock obliged. The second Brock left Misty's side, Delia ran forward to replace him. She hugged her daughter-in-law tightly and the pair watched on, concern drenching their features.

"Come on, Ash, that's enough!" Brock yelled, grabbing Ash's arm and attempting to pull him away. Ben was in a bad state, barely able to retaliate against Ash's attacks. Although Brock felt he'd earned a beating, he silently wished he'd stopped Ash sooner; he never thought he'd cause Ben this much damage. Realising Brock was struggling to restrain the black-haired male, Tracey ran forward and grabbed Ash's other arm, also encouraging him to stop. Although they'd managed to get him off of Ben, they were struggling to keep a tight hold of him. Ash's eyes burned with fury, anger rushing through his veins, fuelled by his love for Misty. Drew left May's side to also help restrain the boy, seeing they were still struggling. Whilst the other two males held Ash back, Brock placed his hands on the man's shoulders.

"Ash, you need to calm down. I know you're mad, but you've proved your point; look at him, he's in a pretty bad way. Stop now; for Misty's sake."

At the mention of his wife, Ash's face softened. He turned to face Misty, who was being held by his mother's arm, and sighed.

"Okay," he mumbled. Brock nodded proudly, and then roughly pulled Ben up from the floor by his suit sleeve.

"I suggest you get the hell out of here, now." Brock growled, his hold still tight on Ben's arm. Ben smirked, pulling himself away from Brock's grasp. He was soaked in mud, his face drenched in blood that was gushing from his nose, and he would definitely have a black eye or two in the morning. He chuckled.

"I'll leave now, but if you think this is the last that you're going to see of me, you've got another thing coming."

Brock lurched forward, with no intention of hitting the man unless entirely necessary, but it was enough to make Ben shudder backwards. Brock gave him a satisfied grin, pointed to the exit and commanded.

"Go, now."

Ben ran, with a limp, from the scene, the entire crowd watching as he disappeared out of sight. The only sound now was the rain as it roughly hit the pavement in a rhythm, as everyone stood in silence, attempting to digest the events that had just unfolded. The thunder may have gone for now, but the rain was still very much prevailing; holding the ominous atmosphere in place.

* * *

A few hours later, Misty was sat in Delia's kitchen at the dining table, now dressed in a warm, fluffy bathrobe that Delia had lent her, and a pair of light blue pyjamas. The two were alone in the house; Mimey had gone to gather groceries and Ash had gone to collect Pikachu and an overnight bag for himself and Misty. Delia had suggested the pair stay at Ash's childhood home for the night with her; given the somewhat distressing events of the day, Delia wanted to keep an eye on them.

"There you go, dear," Delia said kindly, placing a mug of tea in front of Misty. Misty smiled softly, but genuinely, at the elder woman and thanked her. Delia sat opposite her with own mug of tea. Misty looked intently at her mother-in-law, contemplating. She noted that Delia had barely changed in the past twelve years of knowing her. Her hair had begun to grey and wrinkles were appearing on her delicate face, but her eyes still held the same sparkle they had since the day she'd first met her; the sparkle that had been there since the day of Ash's birth.

Having taken a sip of her tea, Delia spoke. "Normally I wouldn't force you to talk about this so shortly afterwards, but I think that we should get it all out in the open today. Then we can forget about it and focus on happier things..." her face was solemn at the start of her speech, but a small smile crept through at her final words. "Congratulations, Mrs Ketchum."

Misty blushed. "Thank you... So you're not mad?"

"Oh heavens no, dear!" Delia cried after a moment's pause to swallow a sip of tea. "I'm a little surprised at the timing, but not the fact it happened; Ash loves you to death, honey, I knew that from the first day I met you! I'm so pleased you've finally settled down together."

Misty's cheeks reddened further, but hearing Delia sigh, her bashful smile dropped. The ambience in the room was bipolar; one minute it was joyful, the next it was serious and gloomy.

"I just wish you'd come to me about what was going on Misty. I assume Ash was the only one who knew before today?"

Misty nodded, her hands wrapped around her mug, the warmth bringing her a mild amount of comfort. "How long did he know?"

"Since last night," Misty murmured. Delia sighed again, deeply then pursed her lips together. After a few moments of tense silence, she spoke up.

"I know how you feel, Misty," Misty looked up at Delia, her brow furrowed, but her eyes were soft, drowning in concern. Delia, on the other hand, was staring intently into her mug, almost as if she was searching for something in the depths of the liquid.

"Delia, were you..?"

Delia gulped and nodded timidly. "Yes."

Misty's jaw dropped. "What, how, when? If you don't mind me asking of course," she quickly added.

"About twenty three, twenty four years ago," Delia began, now looking up to meet Misty's gaze. "A couple of years before Ash was born. Like you, I was terrified to tell anyone. In fact, I only had the courage to when I found out I was pregnant with Ash."

Misty was stunned. "So, Ash's father was abusing you?" she spoke softly, worry and upset etched into her tone.

"His biological father, yes, but he's not the father that Ash knows. I had a close friend, Ethan. Our friendship was not dissimilar to yours and Ash's; we cared about each other dearly, he was my best friend. The day I found out I was going to be a mother, I knew I had to run. I went to Ethan, told him everything; the abuse, the pregnancy... And we ran away together. We fell in love shortly after that," a fond smile graced Delia's face. "He was wonderful. He raised Ash as his own, and we married when Ash was about two."

"So Ash thinks Ethan is his biological dad?" Misty asked.

Delia nodded. "I never wanted Ash to know the truth, I still don't, it'd break his heart."

"I won't breathe a word to anyone," Misty promised. She reached out and held Delia's arm, which was resting on the table. "Delia, I'm so so sorry you had to go through that..."

Delia sighed, locking eyes with Misty. "Same to you, sweetie. I'd go through it all again if it'd saved you from this misery."

Silence again fell between the pair. Misty was completely dumbstruck; she never would have expected such a happy, care-free woman like Delia could have gone through such turmoil. It did reassure her though; she and Ash would get through this, just like Delia and Ethan.

"Thank you, Delia," Misty said, delicately. Delia gave her a weak smile.

"What for, sweetie?"

"Making me feel a lot better; I don't feel so alone anymore, you know?"

Delia's smile widened a little. "I'm glad to have helped."

"I hope I get to meet Ethan one day," Misty said, attempting to lighten the mood, but also showing genuine interest. "What does he do? Ash told me he's on some kind of journey, but that's about it."

Delia nodded. "He does research for Professor Oak, now that he can't travel so much himself. He's so into his work, he loves Pokémon just as much as Ash! He's not been home very often at all though, and I rarely speak to him; we mostly contact each other through letters."

"I think that's kind of romantic though," Misty said, smiling. Delia reflected her grin.

"It is, I suppose. Some people think I'm crazy and wonder how I cope, but it works for us."

"And that's all that matters," Misty said, sincerely.

Delia nodded. "Misty, I have to ask you something."

"Oh, sure, what's up?" she asked, although she had a suspicion of what Delia's next words would be...

"What happened before you got married last night?"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So sorry that it's been a while since I updated; I actually had this nearly complete on Sunday, but stupidly forgot to send it to myself before I went back to Uni, so the only copy was on my home computer. My bad! The stuff in italics is a flashback, just to clarify :) Anyway, after much delay, here's Chapter 5!**

* * *

_Having received a distraught call from Misty about half an hour ago, Ash had abandoned his League dinner without a second thought. He'd informed Lance, now Chairman of the Indigo League, that there was an emergency and had dashed out of the prestigious restaurant without even waiting for his response. As Kanto champion, Ash was expected to attend such events and to stay for their duration, but Misty was more important. After all, without her, he wouldn't have the title in the first place. She was his rock, even when she wasn't physically by his side, she was there in spirit._

_Although they split up last year, after almost seven years of being together (only three of which had been of public knowledge and 'official') and she was now engaged to another man, Misty would always be Ash's best friend. They'd broken up as Misty struggled to see Ash photographed with various gorgeous women, constantly, and when allegations of cheating arose in the paper, it was too much for the red-head to take._

_He arrived outside her apartment block and ran up the three floors to her flat, his desperation to help his beloved friend outweighing his desire to wait for the elevator. Panting, he knocked on the door. When she answered, it was evident she'd been crying; her eyes were red and puffy. Yet, it still killed Ash how beautiful she was. And she wasn't his._

"_Misty, what's happened? Are you okay? You were so vague on the phone-"_

"_Sorry to have called you, I'm fine now, it doesn't matter..."  
__  
Ash scoffed. "Obviously," he mumbled sarcastically, barging past her into the apartment. Misty shut the door behind her, then suddenly took note of his appearance; a smart pair of navy jeans, a white shirt with a tie and a suit jacket._

"_Oh, it was the League Dinner tonight wasn't it?! You said you weren't doing anything important!" Misty said. Being a member of the Elite Four, Misty had been invited herself, but had been unable to attend given it was the night before her wedding.  
__  
"Nothing's more important than you," Ash said, turning to face her._

_A heavy silence fell between the pair. Despite a year apart, Ash still struggled with the fact he couldn't just grab her and kiss her whenever he desired. Misty tore her gaze from Ash, killing the moment. She walked past him into her room and he followed._

"_Misty, what the hell has happened? Please just tell me. You were crying so much on the phone you made yourself sick, now please, what's going on?"_

_Misty said nothing, she simply ran her left hand through her hair in stress. "You're not wearing your engagement ring," Ash noted. Ice coursed through Misty's veins; she froze. Ash slowly took careful steps toward her, almost as if he was worried she'd flee if startled. "Misty, are you still getting married tomorrow?"_

_That tipped her over the edge. She burst into tears and instantly Ash enveloped her in his arms. She sobbed hysterically, whilst attempting to blurt out the truth._

"_I don't want to," she admitted through tears. "I don't love Ben. He's not you, Ash!"_

_Ash's breath caught in his throat. As much as he wanted to kiss her, hold her and never let her go, he had to ensure this wasn't just pre-wedding nerves. _

"_Mist, I..."_

_He was cut off as she pressed her lips against his and Ash felt his strength dissolving away. She was like a drug; with her, he was on a high, but he knew as soon as she was gone he'd be lower than he thought he could ever feel. Just one touch from her could devour the logic in his mind in an instant, and next thing he knew she was removing his shirt. His brain was screaming for him to stop, but his heart was controlling him now. Love was rushing through his veins. Unable to stop himself, he removed her shirt also._

_And that's when he saw the bruises._

_Time stood still, at least it seemed that way to the two twenty-two year olds. Misty's breath was heavy and uneven and she kept her focus on Ash's chest. Ash, meanwhile, was unable to tear his gaze away from the bruises that covered Misty's body. He had a suspicion; he just hoped to Arceus he was wrong._

"_Misty..." he breathed. "Has he been hurting you?"_

_Misty said nothing; she was paralysed._

"_Misty," Ash said firmly, his voice raised slightly now. "Has Ben been hurting you?"_

"_...Yes."_

_And that was all it took. Ash was heading for the door, shouting he was going to tear the man apart with his bare hands. Misty grabbed him, hysterically begging him not to. Upon hearing her distress, Ash melted. He closed the door reluctantly, sighing heavily. _

"_That man had everything," Ash said, still facing the door. "He had you," he said, barely above a whisper, but it was still loud enough for Misty to hear. She was about to say something in response but was cut off by Ash abruptly turning round to face her._

"Why didn't you tell me Mist? I'd have helped you, you know I would! I know you still believe those rumours in the paper were true but they weren't; I'd never cheat on you. I was devoted to you; I still am! This past year has been the hardest of my entire life; having to watch you prepare to marry another man. I was going to propose to you, the week we broke up. I know I'd been a bit neglectful since becoming Champion, but I wanted to prove to you that no matter what, you're number one priority for me, Mist. Hell, you're more than that; you're... you're The One."

_Excluding the last sentence, Ash's speech had been a rushed, almost incoherent rant. Misty, realising he needed to vent his emotions, stood wordlessly and watched him, his every word grasping her intrigue. Misty's eyes pooled with happy tears. There was no verbal response to Ash's confession. Instead, she slowly walked toward him, and then locked him in a passionate kiss._

* * *

_A while later, the pair were laying breathlessly beside one another, panting, on Misty's bed. Misty giggled as Ash wrapped his arms around her naked body, giving butterfly kisses to her neck._

"_That was amazing," he purred. Misty sighed, contently; this was the first time in a year she'd felt genuine happiness embrace her. Her smile dropped, did this have to end? She turned to Ash and looked him deeply in the eyes. Her serious expression perturbed him, until she said, firmly yet delicately._

"_Marry me. Tonight."_

_Ash stared at her, refusing to believe his ears. "I'm sorry?"_

"_You told me I'm The One. I've known you were The One for at least 5 years. Let's do it; let's get married."_

_Ash wasn't sure what it was, but there was a deep feeling in his heart that told him this was right. _

_And so, with no doubt in their minds, they headed to Celadon City._

* * *

Having picked up Pikachu from his apartment, Ash had finished explaining the previous events to the little electric mouse on the journey to his childhood home. Misty had also explained everything to Delia, and, reassured that there wasn't a drop of alcohol in either of their systems at the time and that both adults seemed thrilled to be wed, Delia couldn't help but be overjoyed for them. Misty had blushed when Delia admitted she'd hoped Ash would pick her for a wife since the red-head was merely ten years old.

"A mother can always tell!" Delia said, beaming.

Ash was happy to walk in and see his mother and wife grinning as they looked at something on Misty's phone. A gentle smile on his face, Ash asked them what had brought on their joy. Misty attempted to hold back laughter as Delia gave her son a mockingly stern look.

"Married in jeans, Ash? Have I taught you nothing? I hope you at least changed your you-know-what's that morning!"

Misty couldn't help but laugh happily as Ash gave an exasperated cry of "Mommmm!" in embarrassment, but he was grinning. He left the room to go put the bags in his old bedroom and seconds after his departure, Delia wrapped Misty in a hug tighter than a Tentacool's constrict attack.

"Thank you," she whispered, happy tears rolling down her cheeks.

"What for?" Misty asked, a little surprised, but happy to see the elder woman so joyous.

"For putting the sparkle back into my son's eyes."

* * *

Hours later, night had fallen over the sleepy town of Pallet. The three humans and two Pokémon had enjoyed a wonderful dinner, for the first time in the day, Misty felt genuinely relaxed and happy.

Delia was now in bed, and having helped Mimey finish clearing up downstairs, Ash went searching for Misty. He gently walked up the stairs to the first floor of the quaint family home, and saw light spilling from the bathroom on the left side of the corridor. Ash smiled gently, guessing his wife was in there. As he peeked through the crack in the door, he found himself to be correct. She was stood in a blue, short silk nightgown, her hair hanging loose past her shoulders. For a few moments, Ash just stood and watched her, still unable to comprehend how lucky he was to have her. She was brushing her hair, staring intently into the large mirror in front of her that covered most of the wall. He knocked gently on the door then walked in, her gaze meeting his for a second and after timid smile she returned to staring into the mirror.

"Rough day, huh?" Ash said softly, wrapping his arms around his wife's waist. She sighed, placing the brush down on the counter in front of her.

"We've had worse," she said, with a light, forced chuckle.

Ash rested his head on her shoulder, holding her close to him. "That's true."

"I don't think anything can be worse than the many times I thought you were dead," Misty said, seriously, locking her eyes with Ash's in the mirror's reflection. Ash sighed, and then kissed her shoulder gently.

"Yeah, sorry about that; I was so reckless as a kid."

Misty giggled, this time genuinely. "And you're not now?"

Ash smiled. "I'm a married man now; I need to take more responsibility."

Misty returned his grin, their eyes still locked through the reflection. Misty's face turned sombre as she realised the reflection right in front of her was all she wanted; a happy married life, just her and Ash, without all the drama. She just wanted to be a wife. Seeing her solemn expression, Ash turned his wife to face him.

"Hey, beautiful, why the sad face all of a sudden?"

Misty sighed softly. "When I used to think about the day after our wedding, this isn't exactly what I imagined."

Ash echoed her sigh, and pulled her into him, wrapping in a tight hug, shielding her with love.

"I'm going to try to be the best husband you could ever ask for, I promise. I want you make you happier than you ever thought you could be," he said sincerely. "We'll get through this, I know we will. The hardest part is over."

"You really think so?" Misty said, keeping her head firmly against his chest.

"I know so," Ash murmured into her hair, kissing the top of her head. "And hey," this caused Misty to look up at meet his gaze. "I just realised, not once have I said what I really should the day after our wedding."

"What's that?" Misty asked.

"I love you," he said tenderly.

Misty beamed at him. "I love you too, Mr Pokémon Master."

* * *

**I think this is my longest update yet! I really don't think it was worth the wait though, aha. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed it! And I'll try to update a bit more swiftly next time :) Thank you all again for your wonderful support!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: To make up for my stupidity last week, here's another update. Enjoy!**

* * *

It had been a restless night for Ash. He was crammed into his childhood bed with his sleeping wife beside him and Pikachu at his feet. Given that it was only a single bed, space was limited, yet the lack of room wasn't the reason for his deficiency in sleep.

He knew the day preceding nightfall was a tough one for Misty and it saddened him that the date after their wedding would forever be perceived as a miserable, demanding day. He rolled from his back to his side so he was lying parallel to Misty, who was facing toward him. She had been laid against his chest, but was now snuggling against him, hugging him like a teddy bear. Ash sighed gently, delicately removing a strand of hair from her stunning face. In that moment, he promised himself he was going to make everything perfect for her. Somehow.

* * *

The morning came and , leaving Misty in bed, Ash pulled on his robe and descended the staircase, the strong smell of coffee seeping from the kitchen informing him his mother was awake. As he reached the bottom, the daily newspaper fell clumsily onto the doormat through the letterbox. Ash did a double-take, as he realised it was his own face staring back at him. He bent down and picked up the paper, fanning it out so that the front page was clearly visible. Sighing heavily, Ash saw the picture wasn't just of him; it was a photo of him and Misty. It was taken shortly after Ash became Champion at the age of 19, leaving a club after a night of celebration with his friends, his left hand trailing behind him and attached to a pretty red-head, who, at the time, was his girlfriend. Despite being harassed by photographers, the couple were beaming; nothing could deter their happiness. Today, sadly, wasn't the same.

'Kanto Champion and Elite Four Member's Shock Wedding!' the headline read. Ash wondering who had exposed their secret; the article merely said an 'inside source.' Ash carried the paper through to the kitchen, where he angrily slammed it onto the dining room table and began to read the article. Delia looked round from making her coffee and, noticing the headline herself, sighed deeply. She prepared her son a mug of coffee then sat beside him, rubbing his shoulder gently.

"Arceus, this article is a bunch of a Tauros sh-"

"Hey, watch your language, young man," Delia warned. Ash sighed.

"Sorry Mom, but it's just full of lies; it says Misty and I were 'intoxicated by alcohol' during our wedding, which isn't true at all. It suggests Misty left Ben because he wasn't famous and didn't make enough money... It's horrendous!"

Delia sighed softly. "I know, dear, but you know the papers are awful. Do you not remember what tore you and Misty apart in the first place?"

The realisation dawned on Ash; that article about him sleeping with a fan-girl was what caused them to split up. Ash growled in anger.

"This almost makes me want to give up the title; I never understood the cons of being Champion as a kid. I don't want to be famous!"

Delia continued to rub her son's shoulder soothingly. "I'm afraid it's a package deal, sweetie. I think you two should hide out here for a while, until all this blows over."

Ash nodded. "That's probably a good idea. I better call Lance later and smooth all this out, else he'll have my head; I abandoned a League thing the night me and Mist got married."

"I'm sure he'll understand," Delia said kindly.

"I just wish I could give the love of my life the wedding she deserves," Ash said, softly.

Silence fell onto the pair, as Delia stared at her son, who was looking intently at the newspaper in front of him, a frown gracing his features. She sighed softly, and then pursed her lips together.

"Ash, there may be a way you can do that, you know..?"

Ash, for the first time in the entire conversation, broke his gaze from the paper and locked eyes with his mother, his brow furrowed.

"How so?" he asked.

"Do you remember the day you and Misty broke up?" The question was rhetorical and she carried on despite Ash not responding. "You gave me the engagement ring you'd gotten for her. When I asked you what you wanted me to do with it, you said you didn't care, you just wanted me to get rid of it. Well, I didn't. I kept it in my bedside cabinet, because I had a feeling you two would work out, somehow. You never got to ask her to marry you, now's your chance. We can have the ceremony here or at Professor Oak's lab, with all our family and friends there! Who says you can't have another celebration? One that's everything you both want."

Emotion overtook Ash, and he hugged his mother tightly. "Thank you so much, Mom."

Delia smiled, closing her eyes as in content as she hugged her son back. "You're welcome, sweetheart."

Excitedly, Ash rose from the table and headed to the kitchen door, disposing of the newspaper into the bin on the way.

"I know exactly how I'm going to do it too, I had it all planned out..."

* * *

Ash was elated. Telling Misty she looked like she needed cheering up, he had taken her to a little beach just off the border of Pallet Town. It was private, it was secluded, it was perfect.

The beach was empty, as the sun was going to set in just a short while. Misty emerged from the depths of the ocean, flicking her hair back like a mermaid, her gorgeous auburn locks matching the orange of the setting sun. Ash was sat on the beach with their belongings, just on shore, watching his wife in awe; she was stunning. She flashed a radiant smile at him as she began to walk toward him, the sun causing her wet skin to sparkle like beautiful, precious diamonds. Ash began to approach his love, passing her a white beach dress, which she appreciatively placed over her blue bikini.

"Thank you so much for today Ash, it's been amazing," she said, smiling. Ash kissed her gently, then replied.

"You're welcome, gorgeous. Oh, and before I forget, I caught you a water Pokémon while you were out swimming..." Ash tried his hardest to hide the huge smirk that was begging to envelop him.

"Ooh, really?! What is it?" Misty said excitedly. Ash placed an enlarged Pokéball in her hand.

"Why don't you look?"

Misty squealed in delight and pressed down the on the button to open the device. Instead of a Pokémon, the ball held a stunning silver ring, with a single water drop shaped sapphire completing it. Misty gasped in both awe and surprise, and when she looked up to meet Ash's gaze, she realised he wasn't there; instead, he was on one knee, in front of her.

"Ash what-"

"Since our first kiss when we were fourteen, I knew you and I would be married someday. When I was eighteen, that dream seemed to becoming more like a reality every day. I promised myself I would give you the best wedding ever, and the best proposal. I know this isn't perfect, given we're already married, but, I love you, Misty Waterflower. You're my motivation, my inspiration, my best friend... and my soul mate. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife? Again, in a proper ceremony, with all our family and friends present? The Pokéball is because, well, I choose you, Mist. Now and then, forever and always."

Misty couldn't speak. So, she nodded her head furiously instead. Tears that reflected the ring that symbolised Ash's love her were streaming down her face and Ash mirrored her emotions once she'd given her non-verbal response. He stood up, removed the ring from its case and placed it onto her slender finger. Once it was in its place, Misty wrapped Ash in a tight hug, and they both gently cried onto each other's shoulders in joy, the only sound was the soft crashing of the waves onto the shore. As the sun set in the distance, Ash hoped this be the start of his new, happier life with his Misty.

* * *

**A/N: I saw the ring online and figured it would be perfect for Misty! It's only a short update, sorry, but I felt Ash and Misty deserved a bit of happiness given how angsty this fic has been so far. Plus, then I can write their wedding, and I love weddings! ^^**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I can't believe I've already written seven chapters, how exciting ^^ Once again, thank you all for your amazing support. I've struggled to find the time to write this week, which upsets me because I find it very cathartic, but I managed to write this last night. Anyway, enough rambling, here's Chapter 7 :)**

* * *

About a month had passed since Ash and Misty had wed; the wedding that everyone was now referring to as merely the 'registry' and that today was Ash and Misty's 'official' wedding.

Ash was preparing himself for the day over at Professor Oak's lab, where the wedding was due to take place, with his groomsmen Gary and Tracey and his best man who, naturally, was Brock. Professor Oak was going to do the service, and was outside aiding Delia with setting up. Ash was wearing a smart black suit, with a white waistcoat complete with a deep blue pattern of swirls. Completing Ash's outfit was a black bowtie and shiny black shoes. His hair, although still somewhat wild in true Ash fashion, was tamed slightly to look a bit smarter than usual.

"Nervous?" Gary said, jokingly. The groomsmen were wearing outfits basically identical to Ash's, minus the waistcoat, and their bowties were blue. Ash chuckled.

"To marry a woman I've already married? Yeah, I'm terrified," Ash replied sarcastically.

"Hey, _this_ is your wedding day, for all we care you and Misty aren't married yet," Brock said, laughing. "So... Be nervous!"

Ash rolled his eyes, but played along obediently. "Oh man, I'm never gonna have sex with another woman, ever! What am I doing?"

"Hey, I paid for that hooker for you when you and Misty broke up; not my fault you didn't use her!" Gary spoke up.

"And you refused to have a stripper last night..." Tracey said.

"Yeah, I'm still not happy about that," Gary said, chuckling as he finished tying his bow tie.

Brock raised an eyebrow, mockingly stern. "Hey Tracey, Gary's okay to talk about strippers and hookers, but we're married men!"

Ash couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter. "Wow, Brock, Suzy's a miracle worker."

Suzy, Brock's wife, was also a breeder. On first meeting, she had trusted Brock with her Vulpix. A few years later when they coincidentally bumped into each other at a breeders' conference, she had trusted him with her heart. They'd married a couple of years ago, and were very happy together. Since their reunion, Brock hadn't even looked at another woman; he was devoted.

"Suzy is a wonderful woman," Brock said, dreamily. Suddenly, he glanced at his watch. "Oh, and speaking of wonderful women, I better go pick up the bride!"

* * *

The bride was at Delia's home in Ash's old room, preparing for her wedding day with her sisters, who were also acting as her bridesmaids, with Daisy as maid of honour. The sisters were wearing matching floor-length deep blue satin dresses, with a strapless neckline and optional spaghetti straps. The bodice was relatively fitted, and the dress came out as it reached the waistline. Naturally, they all looked wonderful.

"As if you've got pre-wedding nerves, Misty," Violet chuckled. "You're already married!"

"Maybe it was something you ate... I feel a bit queasy too; maybe it was the chicken from last night..." Lily suggested.

Misty rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you find me being sick amusing, Vi, but I'm not nervous; it probably was the chicken; that restaurant wasn't the best..."

"I'm really glad we got you this dress, Misty, you look like, amazing!" Daisy gushed, changing the subject. The three sisters had bought Misty her dream wedding dress as a sign of gratitude for her hard work at the Gym before Daisy took over once Misty became part of the Elite Four. Although they didn't explicitly say it, Misty could tell the dress was also a wordless apology for how much they'd mocked her in her youth.

"I like, totally agree, you look drop-dead gorgeous, Misty!" Violet concurred. Finally, Lily spoke up.

"Yeah Misty, you like, even give us a run for our money! And we have a lot of it..."

Misty rolled her eyes. "Um, thanks Lil... Thank you all so much for the dress, it's gorgeous..."

"You look perfect Misty, oh, wait! Once last touch..." Daisy said, reaching into her bag. She pulled out a hair brooch which was encrusted with little diamonds. "Mom gave this to me when I was just a little girl," Daisy explained as she placed it into the back of Misty's hair. "But I know she'd want you to have it on your wedding day little Sis."

"Daisy..." Misty whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.

"That's your something old and something borrowed," Daisy smiled. "Your dress can be your something new, given that Ash is totally expecting you to be in your other dress! And your garter is blue, so we're like, totally sorted!"

There was a knock at the bedroom door, causing each of the Waterflower sisters to look to the source of sound.

"Everyone decent?" It was Brock.

Misty beamed. "Yeah, Brock, come in!"

"Ooh is the car here? We better go girls!" Daisy exclaimed joyfully. Violet and Lily squealed and followed the eldest sister out of the room, giggling, almost knocking Brock off his feet. Brock shook his head, laughing. Then he managed to get his first look at the blushing bride.

"Wow, Misty, you look stunning!" Brock exclaimed. Indeed, she did. The dress was a mermaid style dress; fitted until just above the thigh area, then it gradually came outwards slightly, finishing with a short train that elegantly floated across the floor. It had a sweetheart neckline with diamantes over the bust and down the neckline. Made of white satin, the dress shone in a fashion not dissimilar to the scales of a mermaid's tail. Misty was wearing a pearl neckline and matching pearl earrings, her hair was mostly down and slightly curled, but held up slightly at the back by the brooch Daisy had given her moments previously. Violet and Lily had wanted to plaster her in make-up, but Misty wanted a more natural look, to which Daisy obliged. Misty not only rivalled her sisters' beauty; she surpassed it greatly.

"Thank you Brock," Misty said, turning round to face him entirely. She winked at him. "You look pretty too."

"Why thank you," Brock said, as Misty laughed daintily. "Now, madam, shall we go and get you married?" he said in a mockingly posh voice, holding out his arm for her.

Misty laughed again. "Why yes, I think we shall!" she said, taking his arm. She paused, noticing something familiar about his cufflinks. "Hey Brock, where'd you get those?"

Brock smiled softly at her. "Well, Daisy thought, seeing as I'm giving you away, that it'd be nice if I wore your dad's cufflinks, you know, in tribute to him."

Misty stroked her finger across one of the cufflinks gently, smiling tenderly. It had the initials 'CW' imprinted into it. "I got these for him, for his last birthday before he died," she said, barely above a whisper.

"He must have been a pretty amazing man," Brock murmured delicately. "To have such a wonderful daughter like you; it's an honour to be giving you away today, Misty."

Misty locked eyes with the breeder, whom she saw as an older brother. "It's an honour to have you give me away Brock. You've been such a massive influence in mine and Ash's life, and you've been like a big brother to me... No-one would better fit the role of giving me away than you."

Brock smiled at her, his lip quivering, which caused him to take a large in-take of breath and look away from the bride, was now latched on his arm. "Brock, are you crying?"

"N-no," Brock said, his voice high. "Must just be the pollen..."

* * *

Ash needn't have pretended earlier, as now, as he stood at the top of the aisle, he was nervous. It didn't help that his best man had abandoned him in order to bring his wife down the aisle. That said, he loved that Brock was giving Misty away as well as being his best man; being the one who had to put up with them for years, it seemed fitting.

The aisle Ash stood at the top of was constructed by Delia; at the top of it was a white archway that had red roses growing round it, and the aisle itself was a long white rug. At either side of the aisle was a collection of white outdoor chairs, which the guests were now seated in. The wedding was intimate; only family and close friends were here, including May and Drew, Max, Casey and Dawn and Paul. In between the rows of seats were plants pots filled with beautiful purple flowers, and each seat had a deep blue ribbon tied around it, which Delia had done by hand, entirely alone.

Ash's Pokémon were overjoyed that the wedding was taking place on the ranch at the Professor's lab; it meant they had a front-row seat for their master's wedding in their own home. Misty's Pokémon were there too, gathered beside Ash's collection on the grass near to the seating for the humans. Pikachu and Togetic, who'd surprised Misty a few days previously by returning for the wedding, were seated on the front row, chatting excitedly.

Suddenly, the violins began to play, indicating the arrival of the bridal party. Ash took a deep breath, smiling at his mother who was sat beside Pikachu, already in tears. Lily was first to walk down the aisle, holding a bouquet of white lilies, Violet followed, carrying a bouquet of violet flowers. Daisy was next, as expected, carrying a bouquet of daisies. Ash chuckled lightly to himself; Misty knew how much her sisters hated getting flowers that corresponded to their name; she was obviously getting her own back for his sister's teasing over the years. Finally came Misty, carrying a bouquet of lilies, daisies and violet flowers, and Brock, who was already flooded with emotion, tears streaming down his face. Ash didn't notice though; he was too busy staring at the beautiful woman walking down the aisle toward him, whose eyes were locked with his own, her radiant smile sending shivers down his spine. His nerves were gone, replaced by sheer awe; he was marrying the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Lucky bastard," Gary murmured in his ear, jokingly, voicing Ash's thoughts; he couldn't believe his fortune.

"You may now kiss the bride," Professor Oak said, smiling at the pair. Ash was beaming; this was his favourite part. As he kissed his wife in a delicate but passionate manner, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Brock was sobbing harder now, causing Delia to smile as she handed him a handkerchief.

"It's just so beautiful," he cried. Delia rubbed his shoulder softly, attempting to console him, as she cried too. Ash turned to the crowd.

"Right everyone, the wedding breakfast is at my place, so let's go!" Ash said excitedly.

"Typical Ash, thinking about food..." Misty chuckled, then squealed as Ash picked her up, bridal style of course.

"C'mon Mist, our food awaits!" Ash said, carrying her down the aisle as Misty laughed in glee.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I've had a really, really rubbish day. I won't bore you with details, but I felt writing something fluffy might cheer me up. So MEGA FLUFF WARNING! Here's the Part 2 of Ash and Misty's wedding!**

* * *

"You look _stunning,_" Ash whispered into his wife's ear before giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. Misty giggled happily, thanking him with a kiss on the lips. "Although, I don't remember these sparkly bits…" Ash added, prodding one. Misty sighed.

"Ash… You do know it's a different dress right?"

"Of course I do!" Ash said, grinning at her. "Just messin' with ya, Mist!"

Misty raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but gave him an amused smirk anyway; nothing was going to bring her down today.

The wedding congregation had now relocated to Delia's back garden, where sets of white, circular tables with mismatched chairs were set out. Delia had spent most of the previous day running round the neighbourhood searching for white chairs. Her search, although somewhat successful, turned up short, so now Brock, Tracey, Gary, Drew, Paul and their Pokémon were moving the chairs used for the ceremony over to the reception. Similar to the ceremony, Delia had put blue ribbons on every chair, and made sure each seat had a blue cushion on it. The tables donned white table cloths, with either a bouquet of lilies, daisies or violet flowers in the middle as the centre piece. The top table was rectangular, and was located in front of the rest of the tables, overseeing them. Ash and Misty were, naturally, located in the middle with Delia was sat next to Ash and Brock beside Misty. After Brock, Daisy, Violet and Lily all sat in a line, and next to Delia were Professor Oak and Ash's groomsmen; Gary and Tracey.

Everyone was seemingly having a lovely time. All the Pokémon were running round in the garden, playing with the children, whilst the adults sat around and chatted. Brock and Delia had prepared the wedding breakfast, and Dawn and May were happy to volunteer as waitresses and dished out the food to everyone.

"Everything is going surprisingly swimmingly," Misty whispered to Ash.

Ash chuckled. "What else did you expect? Usually it was Team Rocket who crashed every event we had..."

Misty smiled. "That's true, and they seem like they're having fun..." she said, nodding over to a few tables back where they were seated. Jessie and James, having been sacked from Team Rocket about five years ago, had decided being evil wasn't their forte and finally gave up on their plans to kidnap Pikachu. James had managed to convince his parents to similarly give up on their plans for him to marry Jessibelle, and instead, married Jessie. They now lived together, with Meowth, on James' parents' estate, and they had made their own small fortune selling children's books about a group of hilariously useless thieves who were constantly trying to steal a Pikachu, belonging to a young girl named Ashley.

"They say write what you know!" James had shrugged when Ash had questioned them about the familiarity of the plot.

"Here you go, Mr and Mrs Ketchum," May said, happily, as she placed their food in front of them. Misty smiled back and thanked her, but as the scent of the food caught her nose, she suddenly felt intensely nauseous.

"Back in a minute," Misty said hurriedly, and then dashed into the house.

May blinked, staring into the direction Misty had gone. "There's no carrots or peppers..."

"She like, wasn't well this morning," Violet explained. "We think she ate something at the restaurant last night."

"But I had the same thing as-" May began. Brock quickly interrupted her.

"I'll go check on her, must be food poisoning or something," he gave May a meaningful look, which, thankfully, she understood.

"Ah, right yeah. I'll come too," May said.

"Hang on," Ash spoke up. "Shouldn't I be the one checking on my wife?"

"No, no, no," May said, a tad too quickly. "I mean, this is _your_ wedding, you can't both go missing can you?! You could eat Misty's chicken for her-"

"On it!" Ash said, his mind, thankfully, once again distracted by food.

* * *

May and Brock hurried into the house, and, spotting the collection of champagne glasses on the side, Brock spoke up.

"Leave one of those glasses on the side, empty," Brock instructed.

May nodded. "You go see if she's okay, I'll get her some water."

Brock nodded back, and then headed up the stairs in a hurry. He could hear Misty spluttering in the bathroom, and dashed in, holding her hair whilst gently rubbing her back.

"Thanks Brock," Misty mumbled, once she was done. She refused to make eye-contact, and quickly grabbed her toothbrush to clean her teeth before Brock could question her.

"No problem," he said. There was a pause, the only sound breaking the heavy silence was Misty brushing her teeth. Brock took a deep breath. "Now, I'm not going to ask you if this is what I think it is, because I don't think I or anyone else should know before Ash… But I also know, you won't want to deal with this right now, so May and I, who you know won't breathe a word to anyone about your _food poisoning,_" Brock said, emphasising the final two words. "Are gonna help you keep this under wraps, okay?"

Misty said nothing, merely nodded as she finished cleaning her teeth. "Oh, and just so you know, Ash will be ecstatic… You know, about your _food poisoning._"

Misty couldn't help but smile softly, partially because, out of context, Brock's sentence sounded ridiculous. "Thanks Brock," Misty repeated, embracing him tightly. Brock couldn't help but smile; this 'food poisoning' was the happy bit of news Ash and Misty deserved, and needed, after all the drama of last month. Just as they pulled apart, May appeared, carrying a glass of water and some crackers.

"Hey, you okay Misty? I brought you water and crackers just in case you wanted some plain food; I find crackers are easy to keep down when you're, um, ill. Ash is working on your chicken, don't worry," the younger female explained, adding a slight giggle at the end. Misty smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks May, that's really thoughtful."

* * *

Back downstairs, May had gone to go dish out champagne in preparation for the speeches, causing a panic stricken look on Misty's face.

"Here," Brock said, handing Misty a champagne glass. "It's sparkling apple juice; we got for the kids for during the speeches. Definitely better than champagne for food poisoning..." Brock said, with a wink.

"Brock, I honestly don't know what I'd do without you…" Misty said, appreciatively. Brock grinned.

"Don't mention it, now c'mon, let's get back out there," Brock said, following Misty out of the house.

* * *

Brock was the only one standing; everyone else was sat in their seats, looking at the breeder attentively. Suzy smiled gently; Brock had spent the last month perfecting this speech, this wedding meant a lot to him.

"Ahem, hello there, most of you know me, but in case you don't, I'm Brock; the best man and honorary father of the bride," Brock began, smiling down at Misty at the mention of her father. "I've known Ash and Misty for a long, long time. Too long, in fact, I've been trying to get rid of them for years…" Everyone laughed, politely. "No seriously, I've known Ash and Misty since they were kids…" Brock trailed off as the earlier realisation crept back into his mind, tears of joy pooling his eyes. May looked at him, with meaning, wordlessly telling him to carry on.

Sorry, getting emotional already. It's just I love these two so much, they're my best friends and they're like my younger brother and sister. I would, however, like to take this moment to take credit for getting them together in the first place. When these two were fourteen, Delia threw a Christmas Party… I spotted Ash and Misty stood next to each other and, being the cunning devil that I am, ran over with some mistletoe and made them kiss…" He paused and turned to the couple. "You're welcome guys." Ash and Misty raised their eyebrows in amusement at the breeder, whilst everyone else laughed.

"Anyway, these two are made for each other, even if it took them, well, took Ash," this prompted another round of knowing laughter and a 'Hey!' from the groom. "A long, long time to realise it. You two are going to be so happy," Brock's lip quivered, as he thought, again, of the news he'd discovered about Misty earlier. "I just know it!" he squeaked out, full on sobbing now. "To Mr and Mrs Ketchum!" he said, concluding his speech as he lifted his glass. The rest of the congregation echoed his words and actions, and everyone took a sip of their drink. May was shaking her head, a look of amusement on her pretty face; poor Brock, it'd been an emotional day for him.

"Mm, this champagne is great isn't it, Mist?" Ash said to his wife.

"Certainly is," Misty said, laughing awkwardly. She turned to Brock as he sat back down. "Subtle," she hissed.

"I'm sorry," he said with a sniff. "I'm happy for you!"

Misty couldn't help but smile, "Oh Brock…"

Next was Ash's speech. "Uh, hey everybody, I'm the groom… I hope you know that, else you're at the wrong wedding…" Ash began, laughing awkwardly. "Anyway, I'm not that great at public speaking, nor am I very good at all that…" he wrinkled his nose. "Mushy stuff that girls like. I tried writing this speech about twenty times and every time was awful, so, I'm just going to wing it…" May and Dawn shared panicked looks; Ash and 'winging it' never worked out as well as he intended.

"I'm sure I don't need to point out to you how beautiful Misty is," he said, smiling affectionately at his wife, earning a collective round of 'aww' from the females. "Mist, you're the most beautiful woman in the world, inside and out. I don't know if it's because it's our wedding day or what, but today you just seem to be… I don't know, glowing, almost," Brock and May shared knowing looks, as Brock teared up, again. "Brock, I can never thank you enough for what you did. You embarrassed the hell out of us that night," Ash said with a chuckle, "but Arceus knows who long it would have taken me to realise my feelings if it wasn't for you, so thank you, so so much. You've given me the best gift anyone has ever given me and I'll be in debt to you for the rest of my life. And Mist, thank you for being my best friend and my wife. I promise I'll be the very best husband I can be… Like no-one ever was! I love you, Mist, and I want the world to know it. So, can everyone please raise a glass to my wonderful, amazing, stunning bride; Misty."

"To Misty!" everyone said, raising their glasses. Every female, and Brock, was in tears; Ash's clumsiness and ignorance did actually manage to create a very lovely speech after all. Drew glanced at his girlfriend, who was in floods of tears as she looked on at the newlyweds. Maybe it was about time he asked her…

* * *

The wedding came to close fairly late that night; everyone had danced, drank and had a wonderful time celebrating. Ash and Misty were spending the night in Ash's old room, once again. Misty was laid on the bed in her nightdress, her make-up now removed and her hair loose, but her beauty still radiant. Ash was stood near to the bed as he undressed for the night.

"I know we'd originally planned to go to Cinnabar Island for the night," Ash said as he pulled off his tie. "But after Brock told me you had food poisoning I didn't thinking flying on Charizard was the best idea…"

Misty laughed uncomfortably, staring down at the bed sheets. "It's fine; as long as I'm with you I'm happy…"

She meant that sincerely, whether it sounded it or not. Ash looked at her, worriedly.

"Hey, how are you feeling now?" he placed a hand under her chin tenderly, trying to encourage her to look at him.

"Fine," she said, trying to sound honest. Ash raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.

"You don't seem it."

"I'm fine!" she snapped. Ash took a step away from her in surprise; since admitting their affections for each other, the pair had argued a lot less, so an argument at this age stung Ash like a thousand Beedrill.

"Right, okay then," he said, his tone etched in hurt, turning away from her. Misty sighed, guilt suffocating her. She sighed deeply; her guilt had drowned her fears, now she was ready.

"Ash. I need to tell you something."

* * *

**A/N: Dun dun dun! I'm sure you've all worked out what it is by now ;) I really love emotional Brock ^^ Anyway, I hope you all liked it! Enjoy the fluff while it lasts...**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Slight confession to make; I've had such writer's block with this chapter it's kind of ridiculous. This was my third attempt, and hopefully that's the end of my writer's block. Also, I don't mean to do self-promoting, but I recently wrote an unrelated one shot that's a little more lighthearted than this, called 'Max's Crush' if you fancy a read. I'd also like to dedicate this chapter to nyislandersgirl, because she's awesome and lovely :) Once again, thank you all for your lovely support! It's always greatly appreciated! Anyway, enough from me, here's Chapter 9!**

* * *

It had been about forty-six seconds since Misty had told Ash she was pregnant. Ash was stood, staring at her, completely dumbfounded. Misty let out an irritated sigh, impatience beginning to take over her.

"Ash?" she questioned. He babbled something incoherent in response. Misty sighed softly and climbed off the bed, her irritation diminishing into sympathy. She placed her hands on Ash's cheeks, and his eyes fell to hers, but his gormless expression stayed in place. "I know this must be a shock to you. It was to me too… I thought I was being paranoid until I took the test…"

Ash shook his head, attempting to gain some composure. "H-how? I mean, you're on the pill aren't you?"

Misty sighed. "Yes, I am. But do you remember, about a month ago, the night we got married?"

"Uh-huh," Ash said, still somewhat constrained by shock.

"I was sick that night, wasn't I?"

"You were pregnant then?! But we hadn't had sex for months by that point so that would mean-" Ash said, rambling on in panic. Misty placed a finger over his mouth.

"Will you just be quiet for ten seconds? I wasn't pregnant _then,_ but being sick causes the pill to stop working for about four hours. We made love about an hour after that…"

Ash nodded, although he still seemed distant. "That makes sense…" His expression turned serious. "Misty, you know I need to ask this, not that it matters to me either way but, is it definitely… mine?"

Misty smiled. "Ben and I never had sex. I didn't love him, and I always told myself I would only sleep with people that I love. So I told him I was waiting for marriage…"

Ash chuckled, a playful smirk upon his lips. "I didn't realise we got married at eighteen, Mist! And three times in one night, too!" the last remark was enough to earn Ash a playful smack on his arm. The pair laughed happily, and Misty was somewhat relieved Ash seemed to have changed back to his usual self, no longer being controlled by the shock of her announcement.

"So, we're having a baby," Ash said calmly, looking at his wife. She nodded. "You're going to be a mom, and I'm going to be a… dad," Ash trailed off at the last word, his face turning to contemplation. Suddenly, Ash jumped and looked at Misty excitedly, grabbing her arms. "We're having a baby!" he yelled in delight. "We're having a baby! This is the best day ever!" he picked up his wife by the waist and twirled her round in pure joy, tears streaming down his face. Misty, although surprised by his sudden actions, laughed along in happiness. He placed her down, smiling softly. "I love you, Mist."

Misty reflected his smile. "I love you too, Ash."

"And," Ash said, getting on his knees so he was level with Misty's stomach. "I love you too, little Pichu!" he said softly, gently kissing her abdomen. Misty smiled; she had the sweetest husband in the world.

* * *

Being only four or five weeks into pregnancy, Misty was adamant that they keep the news a secret until after her twelve week scan. Ash, who was practically giddy with happiness over the news, wasn't impressed about this as he wanted to tell everyone the good news, but understood Misty's concerns. They'd agreed to tell Delia, who had, like her son, cried with joy over the news, rushed off to write her husband a letter, then begun knitting a pair of socks for her unborn grandchild.

Although Ash'd initially been nervous about telling him, Pikachu was ecstatic he would be getting a Pikachu-sized playmate in a few months time. When Misty had entered the living room of their apartment in Viridian a few minutes after he found out, Pikachu had leapt into the red-head's arms and begun to lick her face happily in congratulations. Misty giggled, giving the mouse a cuddle in response.

"Aww, I'm glad you're happy, Pikachu! I hope Brock reacts as well as you do…" Misty couldn't help but smile slightly; she had a feeling Brock was going to be _very_ excited.

Ash looked at his wife in confusion. "You want Brock to lick your face?"

Misty rolled her eyes, but she was smiling; she secretly loved Ash's occasional stupidity, she found it endearing. "No, honey, only Pikachu has that privilege. You ready to go see Brock?"

Ash nodded, standing from the sofa. "Sure am, how do you think Brock's going to take it?"

Misty chuckled to herself. "I think he'll take it just fine."

* * *

It had been half an hour since they'd confirmed to Brock about the baby. He was yet to stop crying. They were sat in Brock's lounge, with Brock sat in armchair with Pikachu, diagonal from Misty and Ash who were sat on the couch. There was definitely the sense of a woman's touch in the room; the couch had pretty pillows on it, there were flowers in a vase on the coffee table and a set of candles were lined on the fireplace. Also on the fireplace was a photo of Brock and Suzy on their wedding day, a photo of Brock and Misty on the same day, as well as a photo of Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu and Togepi on the day of their separation when they were travelling. Misty passed Brock his fifth tissue from the coffee table and smiled, half in sympathy, half in amusement. Ash merely stared at his elder friend, a little dumbfounded at how emotional his good friend had been lately.

"You know Brock, for a rock-type trainer you're not very hard lately," Ash chuckled to himself, greatly amused by his own pun. Pikachu and Misty sighed in exasperation then the latter turned to Brock.

"Now Brock, I'm only four or five weeks in, so we're keeping it a secret from everyone for now. I thought I better tell you though considering how worried you were about my _food poisoning_."

Brock sniffed, his sobs finally subsiding. "Oh yeah, well, I'm very happy, if you couldn't tell..."

Misty laughed, "Yeah, I got it."

"You and my mom had the same reaction!" Ash said, in an attempt to mockingly antagonise Brock, an attempt that was extinguished quickly by his wife.

"Um, excuse me, Mr Pokémon Master, you cried too..."

Ash shuffled awkwardly. "Yeah but, it's my baby..."

"That reminds me!" Misty said, turning her attention back to the weeping breeder. "We need to ask you something."  
"Hmm?" Brock said.

"We expect our baby will no doubt be calling you 'Uncle Brock,' anyway, because you're going to be such a big part of its life... So, we were wondering if you'd want to be the baby's godfather?"

Brock's grin was huge. "Of course! I'd love to!"

He enveloped the couple in a tight hug, and the trio laughed happily. Brock smiled to himself; this baby was going to be so loved.

* * *

That night, Misty and Ash were cuddling in bed. They'd only been back at Ash's apartment for the day, and Ash already missed the quiet of Pallet Town. Traffic was gushing past their building even now, car horns were occasionally being blasted and a police siren could be heard in the distance. Ash frowned to himself. Pikachu was snoring contently from his bed in the corner of the room. Misty was smiling gently at him, when Ash spoke up, causing her to turn toward him.

"I've been thinking."

"Oh Arceus, don't hurt yourself," Misty said, jokingly. Ash rolled his eyes at her with a grin, but carried on regardless.

"I know we need to move anyway because my- sorry, our apartment only has one bedroom. And I know we planned to stay in Viridian because it's the easiest place to live work-wise but... How about we move to Pallet? I just think it's a nicer environment for a baby to grow up in; there's very little pollution, low crime rate, there's beautiful scenery everywhere and lots of places for them to play... And I know it's a bit more expensive, but I think it's worth it. My mom would love it; she could see the baby whenever she wants and we can visit her all the time..."

Misty smiled softly. "I love that idea, Ash. I don't really like Viridian anyway, and you're right, Pallet would be a much better place to raise a baby..." she placed her hand on her stomach, smiling down at it. Ash placed his hand atop of hers, and then kissed his wife tenderly.

"I love you, Mist."

"I love you too, Ash."

They settled down the night, Ash was lying behind Misty who was facing away from him, their hands still entwined over their unborn child.

* * *

'_I'll leave now, but if you think this is the last that you're going to see of me, you've got another thing coming...'  
__  
_Ash shot up in bed, in a fashion not dissimilar to the manner he had on the first day of his journey. He'd had a nightmare. He couldn't remember anything about it, but Ben's words were echoing in his mind. He physically shivered; why had this unnerved him so much? They'd heard nothing from Ben for months; his words were most likely empty. Ash sighed deeply and glanced over at wife, who hadn't awoken despite his sudden movement, Ash thought she looked so adorable when she was sleeping. Ash smiled fondly at her, then looked at the clock; he saw it was heading toward midnight. He still felt shaken by his nightmare, so he climbed out of bed, grabbing his phone off the dresser on the way, and headed to the lounge. He punched the number into his phone then waited, lounging over the sofa dozily.

"Hello?" a man answered.

"Hey Brock, did I wake you?"

"No, I'm still doing my studying of Pokémon's night time habits. Turns out, a lot of it is just sleep..." he said, chuckling lightly. Ash mirrored his action. "What's up?"

Ash sighed. "I had a nightmare and it's kinda freaked me out. I just have this weird feeling of dread..."

"About what?"

"Ben."

The name alone managed to extract a few seconds of silence from Brock. "Right," he eventually said. "What specifically?"

Ash ran a hand through his messy black hair. "I don't know, really," he said, lamely. "I just have this sense that something could go wrong."

Brock chuckled softly in sympathy. "You just found out you're going to be a dad, it's only natural. I bet every parent feels like that."

Ash exhaled. "Wow, I'm going to be a dad. It still sounds so unreal, especially coming from someone else."

"I'm sure it will until the baby actually comes. Through all my crying I'm not sure if I told you this, so, congratulations, buddy. You're gonna be a great dad."

"Heh, thanks Brock," Ash said.

"Oh, and thank you guys for telling me about it, but when we went shopping today, Suzy and I walked past the aisle with the baby clothes and I burst into tears. Now I think she thinks I'm crazy..."

"Or just super broody," Ash chuckled.

"I think we're still a couple of years off having a kid," Brock admitted. "Suzy's barely breaking even at the salon, and my salary at the Pokémon centre isn't great. Still, I can't wait to be an uncle!"

"That's a shame you can't have your own yet though; they could have gone on a journey together like us!" Ash said. Brock chuckled.

"True, but remember I'm a few years older than you, your baby can be the Brock of the group."

"A hormonal, sex-crazed teenager? I hope not!" Ash said, laughing. He had Brock scoff at the other end of the line.

"Anyway, thanks for the chat, Brock, I feel better now."

"Good, now go get some sleep. Enjoy the next few months while you still can!"

Ash smiled. "You have a point. Night, Brock."

"Night, Ash. Sleep well."

With that, the conversation ended, and Ash sat for a few moments, contemplating. Brock was right; it was probably just the recent discovery he was becoming a parent that had sent Ash into a state of turmoil. As soon as Misty had told him she was pregnant he'd sworn to himself he'd protect them both if it was the last thing he did. They were his world, his everything, and the baby hadn't even been born yet. With that final thought, Ash headed back to bed, and cuddled up to his sleeping wife for the second time that night.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Apologies for the delay in updates. This one was a toughie, but it's my longest update so far, so hopefully that'll make up for it! This one does deal with some sensitive issues (I tried to keep it implied to avoid offense) so that's just a warning for you. I hope you all enjoy it, and thank you for your continued support**

* * *

The week of Misty's twelve week scan rolled around quickly. Misty, who had been suffering particularly bad morning sickness, personally couldn't wait to see the back of her first trimester. She'd been particularly touched with Ash though; he'd been very attentive and caring throughout her sickness, and in general. Misty was sat with her feet up in the lounge, flicking through a pregnancy book, when the phone began to ring. Sighing, Misty stood from the couch, which in turn disturbed Pikachu who was sleeping on her lap. Since the announcement of her pregnancy, Ash left Pikachu to stay with her whenever he couldn't. Today was one of those days, as Ash had a League meeting.

"Hello?" Misty said, picking up the receiver. She couldn't help but smile when she saw her husband's handsome face grinning back at her.

"Hey Mist," he said, tenderly. "Just rang to check up on you."

She smiled softly, touched by his thoughtfulness. "That's so sweet, Ash," at this, tears began to roll down her face. Ash's face turned to panic, as he frantically asked her what was wrong. "Sorry," Misty said, drying her eyes. "My hormones are everywhere today."

Ash chuckled, and said with a wink. "Nothing new there then."

The glare he earned from Misty was enough to make him change the subject. "Anyway, we just finished up here, so I'll be home soon. Is there anything you want me to pick up for you?"

Misty smiled again. "No thanks, I'm good. All I want is to see you."

"Your wish is my command," Ash said, pretending to wave a wand, causing Misty to giggle. Ash beamed back at her, satisfied that he'd made her happy. He bid her farewell and blew her a kiss at the screen, which she returned, and then he hung up to return home to her.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" Ash called, despite the fact the front door lead to the lounge, the very room Misty was sat in.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu exclaimed happily. Normally, Ash would pick him up, but today he had one hand behind his back, so instead he gave him a huge smile and a pet on his head. Misty strolled over to greet him, a few seconds after Pikachu, a caring hand on her small bump.

"Hey gorgeous," Ash said. "I got you something."

He pulled his hand from behind his back to reveal a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Misty was genuinely shocked; Ash was never the type to abide by the usual conventions of romance. She was so overjoyed she burst into tears again, which, naturally, caused Ash to think he'd upset her.

"Are they not the right flowers? Oh Mew, I'm so sorry, Mist, I'll take them back-"

He was cut off by his wife placing a short but passionate kiss to his lips. He was so caught off guard that the bouquet slipped from his fingertips, but thankfully Pikachu was fast enough to catch them.

"Chu!" the little mouse said in exasperation, sighing in partial relief and annoyance.

* * *

The next morning, Ash and Misty were in the car, on the way to her scan. Ash glanced at his wife, briefly. He couldn't see her face as she was staring out the window, but she was twiddling with her hands nervously.

"Something wrong, honey?" Ash asked, keeping his eyes on the road. Misty sighed, turning to look at her husband.

"I guess I'm just nervous, I mean, what if something's wrong?"

Ash smiled sympathetically, taking one hand off the wheel and placing it over hers.

"Ash, hands on the wheel!" Misty snapped. Ash rolled his eyes.

"Misty, we're at a red light and you're upset, it's fine!" Ash insisted. "I promise you, Mist, everything will be fine."

Although Ash of course couldn't know this fact for certain, he knew his wife required reassurance right now; a little white lie wouldn't hurt.

"Yeah," Misty said, as Ash took his hand away, anticipating a further scolding, "You're right, sorry."

Ash chuckled lightly. "You don't need to be sorry, darling. It's normal for an expectant mother to be worried."  
Misty smiled. "When did you get so smart?"

Ash scoffed. "Who are you kidding? I'm old and wise now!"

"That or Brock's finally starting to rub off on you after nearly 13 years," Misty said. Ash frowned slightly, remembering his previous conversation with Brock. He hadn't told Misty of his dream, and he had no plans to. His main priority was to protect her, no matter what.

* * *

"Okay Misty, this will feel a little bit cold," the doctor said as she placed the blue gel for Misty's ultrasound on her stomach. Misty winced at the cold touch, but after a second or two grew used to it. "Alright you two, are you ready to see your baby for the first time?"

For once in his life, Ash was silent. Misty looked at him with a raised eyebrow, his expression seemed almost absent, like he didn't truly believe this was happening. She'd have worried he was panicking, but the goofy smile on his face suggested otherwise.

"We're ready, doctor," Misty said, addressing the other woman in the room. The doctor smiled and nodded then placed the device on Misty's stomach, and began moving it around.

"It's weird how this works," Ash mused, staring at Misty's stomach intently. Misty chuckled.

"Very deep, honey."

"Hey, I-" Ash was about to argue back, but he was cut off by the image that appeared on the screen beside them. It was no bigger than the size of a peanut, and was simply a blur on a screen. But right there, before their eyes, was their child. Ash squeezed Misty's hand tightly, and she looked back to smile at him. Although tearing her eyes away from the screen was difficult, she was glad she did. She'd never forget the pure joy and love that could be read all over Ash's face. An expression she knew she'd never get to see again unless they bared more kids; the first time he witnessed his unborn child. Both their eyes were holding pools of happy tears, and as Ash let his eyes fall to meet Misty's, his tears fell too.

"Who knew your tummy could be so amazing, Mist?" he choked out. Misty giggled, which caused her tears to follow Ash's. The doctor sat across from them smiled knowingly; this is what made the job worth it.

* * *

That night, Ash shot up in bed with a loud gasp. He ran a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh, attempting to regain some composure.

"Ash?"

Ash silently cursed himself. This time, he'd woken Misty up. He glanced at her, and she was staring at him worriedly. "Are you okay? You were crying in your sleep…"

Ash forced a chuckle. "Yeah, sorry. I had a bad dream that's all."

"What about?" she said, rubbing his arm in reassurance.

"Oh, I uh, lost my title, that's all. To Paul," Ash said, laughing awkwardly. Misty furrowed her brow, unconvinced, but decided not to push him any further. She kissed him lightly before whispering words of reassurance in his ear, then turned over to go back to sleep. Ash stared at her, taking in every fragment of her beauty, his fears bubbling inside of him. Fair to say, his dream was far worse than he'd expressed.

This time, Ash could remember every heart-wrenching, blood boiling second of his dream. The background was just fog. Ash had been screaming out for Misty. He wasn't sure what had happened prior to this, but he was separated from her and very distressed by this fact. Then he saw her face, and relief had rushed through him. But then, her beautiful smile, the very smile that radiated happiness to his veins, disappeared in an instant, as did his own. Ben was beside her. He had his hand on her neck in a vice-like grip, causing Misty to cry out in pain. Ash tried to run out to save her, but an invisible force field was between them.

"Get the fuck off of her, you bastard!" Ash yelled, banging his fists against the wall, causing the wall to ripple around the source of the hit, but otherwise not falter in the slightest. Ben ignored him, and began to run his hands over Misty in an excruciatingly disturbing manner, causing Misty to whimper in fear. Seeing Ben touch his Misty in an inappropriate way only angered Ash further, his pounding on the wall becoming harder and harder, but still, he failed to move it. Tears of anger and despair were rolling down Ash's cheeks as he cried out for his love. Ben's next move caused Ash to stop shouting and moving entirely, like an arrow of ice had been shot through his heart. His fists still firmly on the glass, he saw Ben was on his knees, at eye level with Misty's stomach, which, for the first time, Ash noticed was heavily pregnant. Ben placed a kiss to her stomach, which caused Misty to physically shudder in revulsion.

"Ah, how I love you," he said to her stomach, then turned to Ash, his words dripping with animosity,_"My child._"

Those two words sparked disgust and anger in Ash that he'd never experienced before.  
"Shut up, you're wrong! Get off my wife, and my baby!" Ash roared. At this, he was awoken by Misty shaking him, which he would be eternally grateful for, even if she never knew what she'd saved him from.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked, looking at his master's expression of despair with worry.

"I'm fine, Pikachu, don't worry."

The mouse was not convinced, and jumped into the bed to snuggle between Ash and Misty. Ash smiled softly, and stroked Pikachu's head in appreciation.

'It was just a dream,' Ash assured himself. 'Just a dream.'

* * *

"Oh I'm so excited for May and Drew!" Misty said from the bedroom en-suite the next night. Ash was sat on the edge of their bed, pulling on his socks. May and Drew had gotten engaged in the previous week and tonight was their party in order to celebrate. Ash scowled to himself, his excitement wasn't quite as prominent as Misty's.

"We never had an engagement party," Ash mused to himself.

At that moment, Misty appeared from the bathroom. His previous upset was completely disregarded at the sight of her. Misty was glowing. She'd made quite an effort for the party; her hair was curled loosely, her make-up was light, highlighting her natural beauty, and she was wearing a short, black cocktail dress which had beautiful lace sleeves. Completing her outfit was the diamond necklace Ash had bought her for their third anniversary together all those years ago, and the matching earrings.

"You look gorgeous, Mist!" Ash said, beaming at her. Misty blushed.

"I went for black because it's meant to be slimming," she said, turning to look at herself in the full-length mirror on the wall behind her. She turned her figure, subconsciously. "I still look like I've put weight on though…"

Ash came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and resting his hands on her stomach.

"That's because you've got a person growing inside of you," Ash said, sweetly. Misty smiled, turning to face him.

"I know honey, I just don't want anyone to get suspicious… I don't want to steal May's limelight."

Ash chuckled. "Like May's going to care! If people work it out that's not your fault. Plus, if it does get out, it's likely to be because May noticed and screamed it out herself…"

Misty smiled, she expected her husband's suspicions to be correct.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry, darling; I guess this pregnancy thing is still unnerving me a bit."

Ash kissed her forehead softly. "I'll be here with you, every step of the way, I promise."

* * *

The party was in full swing, taking place in a posh bar in Saffron City, as May and Drew were currently competing in Kanto. The room had large arched windows that highlighted Saffron's impressive skyline, with a set of double doors that led out to a gorgeous stone balcony. Sets of high tables with stools were placed around the room, and the usual music that would be played in clubs was booming over the speakers. There were intimate tables in booths in the corner, where Tracey and Daisy were sat, giggling and whispering flirtatiously.

Misty was happily chatting to May and Dawn, all three girls giggling excitedly over May's engagement ring as they sat at one of the high tables. Brock smiled softly at the sight, which quickly faded when he saw Ash staring out over the balcony, his face solemn. Brock walked through the large arch doors to meet his younger friend, the skyline greeting him. Ash took a sip of his beer absentmindedly, not even acknowledging Brock's presence.

"What's happened?" Brock asked. "You rang me yesterday, completely bursting with joy at the fact you got to see your baby for the first time, you even sent me the scan photo, which by the way, is now on my fridge. What have you got to be moody about?"

"What if it's not my child?" Ash said, bluntly. The question took Brock by surprise, and for a moment he had to contemplate his response, the rushing of cars below them breaking the silence.

"Would it matter to you if it wasn't?"

Ash turned to face him, his expression still troubled, his eyes on the floor. "You know damn well that it wouldn't Brock, I told you that."

"Then why are you so upset?" Brock said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Ash turned away again, freeing himself from Brock's hold, earning a sigh from Brock.

"She told me that they never had sex, but, what if..?"

A pregnant pause fell between the pair. People and cars below them continue to rush by, oblivious to the turmoil that was unfolding above them. Brock pursed his lips together as understanding hit him, a loud police siren sounding in the distance.

"Ash…" Brock said cautiously, his voice shaking. "What's brought this on?"

"I had another dream," Ash admitted, taking another sip of beer. "I don't care if that baby is mine in a biological sense Brock, because, either way, it's my baby. I love it already. But, in this dream… God Brock, I wanted to kill him. And I mean, literally, if I got chance, I would kill him with my bare hands."

Ash's voice was cold, and Brock shivered slightly at the seriousness of his friend's words.  
"Ash, Misty's moving on. At least, she's trying to. You need to do the same, for both your sakes. Ben's gone. I understand, what Ben did to Misty was horrendous, and we may never know the full extent. I also know you're very angry, hell, I am too. You know how much I love Misty, and I know how much you love her too. We need to move on, to help her move on."

Ash sighed heavily. "I know you're right Brock, but, the thought of what he might have done to her…" Ash growled. He went to kick a nearby chair, but was stopped by Brock grabbing his shoulders.

"Okay, Ash," Brock said, his tone strict and voice slightly raised. "Think about this when you get angry. Imagine you kill Ben, then what? You'll be in prison, and Misty will be raising your child alone. Is that what you want? Because I'm sure you not being there would hurt her a hell of a lot more than Ben ever could."

Ash said nothing, his eyes averting to his wife through the window. She was giggling, her radiant smile causing love and happiness to cascade through him. He could never hurt her. Brock, once again, knew exactly what to say. "If he does come back, Ash, which I sincerely doubt, all I can say is Arceus help him; there's a lot of angry males that want a piece of him. We'll scare him off, don't you worry."

Ash, again, was silent, and simply wrapped his friend in a tight hug. Brock was surprised by the gesture, but returned it all the same.

"Thanks Brock," Ash murmured. Brock smiled softly, it was almost like Ash was ten again, when Brock had to reassure him about his bad dreams. Even now, some things never change, and one was their friendship.

* * *

The next day, Ash was back to his usual, care-free self. He decided focusing on the future would be the best for Misty and himself. So, he snuck out early that morning, and went to buy a present for his wife. He'd seen it the night before having driven by the shop, but as it was passed closing time, there was little he could do about it at that point.

Misty woke up to an empty bed, she narrowed her eyes in confusion and called out Ash's name, which gained no response. She threw her legs off the bed and went in search for him. In the kitchen, stuck to the kettle, was a post-it note.

'Gone out for a bit, back soon! I love you, beautiful.

Love, Ash xxxxxxxxxxx'

Misty smiled to herself, even more so when she saw the extra note underneath.

'P.S. You're cute when you're asleep.'

She couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle when she saw the third and final post-it.

'P.S.S,' which was crossed out and replaced by 'P.P.S. (I think that's right, Pikachu said the first one was wrong) I've taken Pikachu with me, I needed his opinion on something!'

Just as Misty finished making herself a weak cup of tea, Ash burst in through the front door, shopping bag in hand.

"Morning, you," Misty said, taking a sip of her tea. Ash beamed at her, excitedly.

"Go sit down, I have a present for you!"

Misty laughed, but obliged. "What on Earth is it if I need to sit down?"

Ash rolled his eyes and sat beside her, taking the tea from her and placing it on the coffee table in front of them. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands!"

Pikachu sat on the sofa behind them, smiling happily at the pair. Ash placed the present delicately on her outstretched hands. "Okay, open your eyes!"

Misty gasped as she saw the present; it was adorable. Looking back at her with big, gorgeous eyes was a Pichu doll. It was tiny, barely bigger than her own hand, and incredibly cute looking.

"Oh Ash, it's lovely," she said, smiling softly. Ash placed a loving hand on his wife's growing stomach.

"It's a Pichu for my little Pichu," he murmured softly against her ear, placing a delicate kiss on her cheek.

"Ash you're so sweet," she said, placing a kiss on his lips. "When shall we tell everyone about little Pichu here?"

"May didn't tell everyone?" Ash chuckled. Misty smiled.

"No, I told her, then said I would die if I stole her limelight, so she kept her mouth shut. Well, she told Drew… And Dawn… And Kenny… And Brock, who already knew…"

Ash chuckled and shook his head. "Typical, May. How about we just send everyone the picture of the scan?"

Misty smiled. "Okay. Don't send it to Brock again though. He told me he cries every time he goes to get milk from the fridge…"

The pair giggled as Misty snuggled up to Ash. She'd never felt so content in her life.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone. Here's Chapter 12, hopefully it's worth the wait! Thank you again for all your support!**

* * *

"What you doing, Mist?" Ash asked his wife as he entered the kitchen. She was sat at the dining table, staring intently at a book that rested on the table in front of her. Her left hand was on her chin, held up by her elbow that was resting on the table, a somewhat defeated look on her face.

"Looking for baby names," Misty explained, holding up the book to show him. Sure enough, the title 'Best Baby Names' was boldly written on the cover. Ash glanced over his shoulder at the book, as he got two mugs out of the cupboard to make them both a drink.

"Already? You're only five months gone, Mist," Ash pointed out.

"Only? Ash, that's over halfway! And seeing as you don't want to know the sex until the baby's born, we can't make as many preparations as I'd like," Misty groaned.

Ash chuckled. "You forget that your mother-in-law is Delia 'Superwoman' Ketchum; she'll have everything sorted before you're even home from the hospital, I guarantee."

Misty smiled softly. "Yeah, you're right," she paused for a moment, as she noticed the envelope on the table beside her. "Oh, a letter came for you this morning."

Ash finished making the drinks, placing them both down on the table, then took the envelope curiously. Misty thanked him for the tea as she took a grateful sip, her eyes now focused back on the book. Ash opened the letter, a happy but small gasp escaping his lips as he realised who the sender was.

"Who's it from?" Misty asked, not removing her eyes from the book.

"My dad," Ash said, in almost faint disbelief. At this, Misty smiled; Ash's eyes were glazed with pure happiness, his mouth agape still. He rarely got letters from his dad, which made their surprise arrival even more precious.

_Dearest son,_

_I'm sorry I've failed to write you a letter for the past six months. I know I've told your mother to pass messages on, but it's not quite the same. I've been in the Unova region, specifically Mistralton Cave; there's been believed sightings of the legendary Pokémon, Cobalion, so I've been searching for evidence of its existence. Not much luck so far, sadly but I won't give up, at least, not yet. _

_I hear you're now a married man! To that girl who you wrote to me about so many times; Misty, right? I'm so sorry I missed your wedding, son. Your mom sent me the pictures; it looked like a lovely day. You both looked so happy, and I couldn't want more for you than that, son. I still chuckle when I remember that letter you sent to me about her, 'Dear Dad, how do you know if a girl likes you?' Your mother and I suspected you two would end up together one day, well before that letter, that just confirmed it for us._

_I've also been told my first grandchild is on the way! Your mother is so excited, sport, I can't even begin to describe. Her writing was so scribbled in her last letter because she was so ecstatic. She sent me the scan photo too; I look at it every day with a huge smile on my face. I can't wait to meet the little guy or girl!_

_I want to be home by the time the baby's born. I feel like I've missed far too much of your life these past few months, Ash. I know it's all been a little hectic for you, so I couldn't necessarily help it, but that doesn't stop the fact that I should have been at my own son's wedding (I tried, desperately, to be there, but I couldn't get away. Something I'll regret for the rest of my life). So, hell, I'm going to be there to see my first grandkid. I'll be home in about three months' time, well before Misty's due date._

_Congratulations on the wedding and the baby, son. I couldn't be more proud of you. Pass my best onto Misty; I can't wait to meet her. _

_I love you, kiddo, see you soon,_

_Dad xxx_

"That's really nice of him," Misty smiled. "I'm so excited to meet your dad!"

Ash's eyes were brimming with tears of excitement. "I can't believe he's coming home."

Misty grinned brightly, and then a realisation dawned on her. "Hey, your dad's name is Ethan right?"

"Yeah, why?" Ash asked, his brow furrowed.

"How about if we have a boy, we call him Ethan? I think it's a gorgeous name."

Ash smiled softly at his wife. "I'd love that, Mist, but what about your dad?"

Misty frowned slightly. "Daisy already said she wants to name her kid after Dad. It's fair enough I guess, they were a lot closer than we were."

Ash reflected his wife's expression. "You were a lot younger, though."

Misty shrugged. "I guess. Anyway, we can name our son after _your_ dad, but what about a girl's name?"

Ash picked up the book and began to scan through names. "We could call her Ethel? It's like a female version of Ethan?"

Misty's face scrunched up in disapproval. "I'll take that as a no then," Ash chuckled.

"My cousin and his wife just had a baby girl," Misty explained. "They liked quite unusual names when they were deciding."

"That's nice," Ash said. Misty nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I think I'd like a name that's quite unique for our baby."

"You mean like Misty?" Ash said, raising his eyebrows over the top of the book. Misty rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I suppose."

Ash continued to scan the book until a name that he liked struck his vision.

"What about this one?" he said, pointing to it on the page. Misty leaned over and looked at the book herself.

"Alora?" Misty said, having located the name Ash had picked.

"Yeah!" Ash said, enthusiastically. "According to this it means 'better than the best.' What better name for a Pokémon Master's daughter?"

Misty wrinkled her nose. "I'm not sure, honey. I quite like it, but the meaning isn't as… deep, shall we say, as I'd want it to be."

"Aw, come on, Mist. Meaning aside, it's still a cute name!"

Misty still seemed unconvinced. "I'll think about it. Anyway, don't you have a League thing later, shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"Oh yeah!" Ash exclaimed, frantically standing up and dashing off to go get a shower. He wasn't particularly looking forward to the League event, but nothing could damper his mood today.

His dad was coming home soon.

* * *

"So where are you going again?" Misty asked casually that night, as she tied her husband's bow tie.

"Some dinner meeting for all the region Champions," Ash explained. Misty visibly stiffened and Ash braced himself, knowing what was coming.

"_All_ the region Champions? Even Sinnoh?" Misty said, trying to keep her casual air, and failing miserably. Ash could practically feel her words burn against his skin.

"Yes," he said, firmly.

Misty stepped back from him, letting out an exasperated gasp. "Even after all the rumours about you and her bonking while we were apart, you're _still _going?"

"You know those rumours weren't true!" Ash countered.

Misty folded her arms. "I don't care if they were or not. I have to stay in, hiding the fact I'm pregnant because you're worried about media attention, yet you're going out with that skank."

Ash rolled his eyes. "She's not a bad person, Mist, she just gets nervous when the paparazzi interrogate her, and she says all the wrong things. That's why she's always in the papers, she never shuts her mouth."

"Never shuts her legs, more like," Misty muttered with a scoff.

Ash sighed heavily. "For Mew's sake Mist, you need to get over these crazy jealousy issues of yours!"

"Crazy? Ash, nearly every woman on Earth wants you; it's not crazy to be jealous! Especially if you're going out drinking and there's beautiful, slutty women surrounding you! You know what, go out if you want. I'm getting away from this argument; it's not good for the baby for me to be upset."

"Oh, so that's what this is, hormones?" Ash said. Misty was fuming. Deep down, Ash was still the naïve little ten-year-old who knew nothing of women; he didn't know blaming a woman's hormones for their anger is basically a death sentence.

"Go to hell, Ash!" Misty yelled, moments before Ash heard the bedroom door slam shut. Ash sighed heavily, running a hand through his raven hair. He glanced at the little mouse on the floor, looking up at him, eyes wide with concern.

"Look after her, Pikachu," he muttered, before opening the front door to leave for the night.

* * *

Misty was laid on the bed, sobbing into a pillow, when Pikachu found her. The electric type couldn't help but feel a little resentment toward its master for leaving his wife in such a state, especially in her condition.

"Pikachupi," the mouse said, sympathetically. Misty leaned upwards, looking toward the door where Pikachu was standing expectantly.

"Oh, Pikachu," Misty said, rubbing her eyes. "I thought Ash would have taken you."

The mouse said something in its own language, its arms folded and a look of annoyance on its face. Misty smiled.

"You wouldn't have gone even if he'd tried to take you? Yeah, he has been a little insensitive tonight hasn't he?"

Pikachu nodded, and then jumped on the bed to cuddle Misty, causing her to giggle softly. She was incredibly grateful to have such a lovely bond with Pikachu; her own Pokémon lived at the Cerulean Gym so they had a decent pool of water to swim in on a daily basis. She visited regularly, but it didn't stop her missing their constant company. She missed Togetic more, who had his duty to fulfil in the Mirage Kingdom, so she barely saw him anymore.

"I know he doesn't understand why I get jealous, Pikachu. I know he thinks I'm stupid…" She said, stroking Pikachu's ears softly.

"Pikachu?"

"Why do I get jealous?" Misty sighed. "Because, like I said to him, pretty much every woman on Earth wants Ash. I mean, why wouldn't they? He's gorgeous, successful, his body is amazing and his personality is even better. I know I should just be flattered but… I'm not good enough for him, Pikachu. I'm not anywhere near pretty enough to be on his arm."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu said defiantly, disagreeing with her.

"Thanks Pikachu," Misty said, sniffing back more tears. "I can't tell him that though. At the moment he's too dense to realise I'm not good enough. If I say something, he'll probably run off with that blonde bimbo."

Pikachu, again, disagreed with her. However, there wasn't a lot more he could say; he was aware that Misty wasn't as fluent as Ash in understanding him. Pikachu sighed, and decided his duty for the night was keeping Misty calm, for her sake, and for the sake of the Pikachu-sized playmate that was growing inside of her.

* * *

"This party's great, right Ash?" said a blonde-haired young woman, flicking her hair and giggling as she spoke. They were sat at the bar, having eaten dinner, whilst everyone else was mingling or dancing. The blonde woman was curvaceous and oozed sex appeal, wearing a tight, short and strapless little black dress, earning stares from most of the men at the event. Ash, however, was oblivious. He was staring solemnly into his empty glass that he held in his hands.

"Hm? Oh yeah, great, Roxy," Ash murmured, absent-mindedly. He was wondering if he'd made the right choice leaving Misty. Usually some time apart would help her calm down, but he'd just walked out on her, to effectively be with the very cause of the problem.

The Sinnoh Champion pouted her lips at her companion in disapproval. "Why are you being such a party pooper? Come on," she said, pushing another drink his way. "Lighten up."

Ash sighed heavily, but obliged, concluding one more drink to dampen his doubts couldn't hurt.

* * *

Misty was lying in bed, asleep with her arm draped over a snoozing Pikachu. Suddenly, a noise from the hallway caused Pikachu's ears to perk up. The mouse jumped from the bed, causing Misty to awake groggily.  
"Pikachu?" she murmured, sitting up. Just as Misty was about to follow the little mouse, he returned with an envelope in his mouth. Having dropped the letter on Misty's lap, the mouse explained in its language that it had just been pushed through the letterbox. Misty's brow furrowed as she glanced at the clock.

"It's two am, who on Earth would post a letter at that time?"

Misty looked the envelope over, hoping to find a clue. There was no address, to or from, on it, meaning it had definitely been delivered personally. Not even a name was written on the front to indicate the recipient. Misty shrugged, figuring it would only be for either her or Ash. Half asleep, she pulled open the envelope and unfolded the paper inside to read its contents. A hand shot to her mouth as she gasped, having read what lay on her lap on the paper. In cut out letters from the newspaper, the letter read:

_'Don't forget, I'll get you for what you did.'_

* * *

**A/N: Sorry guys, the fluff couldn't last forever! Alora is actually the name I hope to name my own daughter one day. All the baby name websites seem to give different meanings, and I found the one mentioned in the story and thought 'Ash would so name his kid based on that meaning' :P The next chapter will be a direct follow on from this update, rather than a jump in time like the rest of the chapters. Hope you liked it!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Another update! I know, speedy. The joys of being off from Uni for the Easter holidays. Just a reminder, this is a continuation of the previous chapter. Thank you again for your support!**

* * *

Brock and Suzy were sleeping peacefully in their home in Pewter City. It was around two in the morning, and the pair had finally reached the end of a long and busy day of work. Suddenly, Brock's mobile began to ring loudly from the bedside table. Brock groaned heavily, expecting it to be an emergency at the Pokémon Centre and that extra help was needed. Suzy, making the same assumption, slipped herself out of Brock's arms and rolled over, going back to sleep in anticipation her husband would be leaving shortly. Brock grabbed the phone, not even bothering to check the Caller ID, and answered in a sleepy voice.

"Brock?" came Misty's shaky voice from the receiver.

"Misty?" Brock questioned, not anticipating the red-head to be the caller. "What's wrong?"

At this, Suzy grew concerned, and sat up, staring at her husband's back as he sat on the side of the bed, curiosity and worry overtaking her need for sleep.

"I… I got a freaky letter. I think it's from Ben, and I'm home alone. Can I come to yours?" Misty's tone was soaked in fear that was evident even to a barely awake Brock.

"Of course you can, where's Ash?" Brock asked, already standing up and pulling on clothes.

"…Out," was all Misty said, after a pause. Brock, knowing the two as well as his own siblings, if not better, could sense from Misty's manner that something unpleasant had happened between the pair. It was most likely nothing serious, after all, they were Ash and Misty; fighting was their forte. Brock pushed it aside, knowing Misty was a priority right now.

"Right, okay. I'll come get you; I don't want you driving in this state. Get your stuff ready. Lock yourself in the bathroom if it makes you feel safer."

"Thank you so much, Brock, I'm so sorry to bother you like this. I'm just… freaked."

Brock smiled softly. "I would prefer you to call me. I'll be there as soon as I can."

With Misty's final words of appreciation, the pair swapped goodbyes then Brock hung up the phone, to meet the worried face of his wife. Brock explained the situation, and Suzy got out of bed also, in order to prepare the guestroom for Misty. After kissing his wife goodbye, Brock grabbed his keys to go and save his red-headed best friend.

* * *

"Ash, you're so drunk," Roxy giggled, running her hand across his bicep flirtatiously. Ash was too intoxicated to notice, slumped clumsily across the bar.

"No, I'm not," he slurred, finishing the final dregs of his drink. Roxy raised her eyebrows in disagreement, and giggled again. After a moment's pause, she cleared her throat, and shuffled slightly closer to the Kanto Champion.

"So, where's your little wifey tonight?" she asked, in a tone that oozed animosity.

"Misty," Ash corrected. "She's… busy."

"Oh," Roxy said, almost as if her attention had been caught by something. "If you were my husband, I'd never let you out of my sight…"

A combination of drunkenness and Ash's obliviousness to romance caused him to completely miss what she was implying.

"What?" he asked, turning to face her. She giggled, once again.

"Oh, I've said too much," she said, feigning embarrassment. It backfired on her, however, as Ash merely shrugged and turned away, clearly uninterested. "You're just so handsome!" she rushed out. This caught Ash's attention again.

"What?" he repeated. "You know I'm married."

Roxy raised her eyebrows again, and then ran her finger daintily up and down Ash's arm. Ash was too focused on Roxy's inappropriate statement to notice.

"Oh honey, we both know she's not good enough for you. She's just a scrawny thing, you need a _woman._"

Before Ash could respond, Roxy flung herself at Ash, trapping him in a disgustingly erotic kiss, her tongue shoving itself into Ash's mouth defiantly. Ash's love and loyalty for Misty was enough to override his intoxication. He shoved Roxy off, causing her to stare at him, appalled.

"Seriously, you're picking her over me? She's not even here, she wouldn't even know!"

"I don't give a shit!" Ash roared, standing from his seat clumsily. "You'll never be half the woman Misty is; she's beautiful, inside and out, she's loyal, she's loving, she's freakin' sexy. Sexier than you'll ever be; she doesn't need all the fakery," he said, nodding to Roxy's hair extensions and layered make-up. "She's amazing, so don't you dare ever, ever say a word against her. _I'm _not good enough for _her,_ no-one is. She's in a league of her own."

Roxy sat back, mildly flabbergasted by Ash's outburst; she'd only see him get this fired up by Pokémon battles.

"Alright, fine," she said, knowing she was fighting a losing battle. At this, she grabbed her purse from the bar, turning away meaningfully and not glancing back as she left. Ash wouldn't have noticed either way. He flumped back in his seat, exasperated; Misty had been right the entire time, and Ash had completely dismissed her concerns. He was slightly disgusted with himself; he'd left his wife, his pregnant wife, to be with the epitome of her fears. Ash ran a hand through his hair and sighed; mentally making a note to make it up to Misty for this. First things first, he was going home to her.

* * *

Brock had arrived at Ash and Misty's apartment, and having run up the three flights of stairs, was now banging on the door frantically.

"Misty, it's me!" Brock called. He heard the door unlock quickly, and as soon as the door opened Misty collapsed into his arms, sobbing, her rounded stomach making the embrace more awkward than usual. Brock held her tightly, rubbing her back comfortingly as he whispered soothing words in her ear.

"It's okay Misty, I'm here. You're safe."

Brock blinked back tears; seeing Misty, the girl whose strength he'd admired over the years, completely fall apart in front of him, broke his heart a little. Part of him was mildly angry at Ash for not being here to comfort her too, even if he didn't understand entirely where Ash was. He decided, given the state the girl was in, not to ask. Instead, he gently pushed Misty backwards. It was then he noted the dark circles under her eyelids and how bloodshot her eyes were. Fear was etched into her beautiful, blue irises, the sight making Brock's heart ache.

"You got your bag?" he asked softly. Misty nodded, and disappeared into the apartment briefly, returning with a bag in her hand and Pikachu on her shoulder.

Rubbing her free shoulder, Brock said. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

After checking the door was securely locked for the third time, Misty was satisfied, the pair left to return to Brock's house.

* * *

Ash sat in the taxi home, looking out of the window, his eyes glazed as he thought of Misty. He felt horrendous, partially physically through copious amounts of alcohol, but mostly emotionally. He'd meant every word he told Roxy, now he needed to prove it to Misty. His phone began to vibrate in his pocket, and he prayed in his mind that it would be her. He couldn't restrain his disappointment when he saw Brock's name on-screen.

'Sorry, Brock,' Ash thought as he rejected the call. 'I'm not in the mood to talk.'

Eventually, the taxi made it back to Ash's apartment block. Ash was shaking in anticipation now, the desire to see Misty controlling him entirely. He ran up the stairs, somewhat inelegantly, and unlocked the front door, which took him a few attempts.

"Mist?" he called. Realising she might be asleep, he checked the bedroom. The bed looked as though it been slept in, left in disarray. There was no sign of his wife or Pikachu though.

"Misty?" he called again. Receiving no response, he realised; she wasn't there. He frantically searched the drawers, and grasped that some of her belongings were missing. He searched the rest of the apartment for her, which didn't take long given its size, to no avail. She was definitely gone. Ash stood still, as dread paralysed him. He stared at the empty apartment, loneliness and grief overtaking him as he whispered to the air.

"She's left me."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Gah, sorry for the delay. I didn't realise how long it'd been since I updated, then I woke up this morning and panicked because I'm going on holiday tomorrow (so no writing for a week, sorry!) and I hadn't finished this update! I don't think it's my best work, as it was a little rushed, but I hope you enjoy it :) It takes place directly after the previous update. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ash awoke the next morning in a daze, slumped across the sofa, in the clothes he was wearing the night before. His head was pounding, the after effects of alcohol kicking in with a vengeance and his cheeks felt stiff with dry tears. As he reached for his hurting head, he realised that he had awoken due to a loud banging on his apartment door. Before he had chance to answer it, however, the door burst open, banging loudly on contact with the adjoining wall. Brock stood in its wake, his face radiating with fury. His eyes burned on contact with Ash, and suddenly the sick feeling in Ash's stomach wasn't just due to his hangover.

"What the hell are you playing at, Ash?" Brock yelled, storming toward the younger male. Ash didn't cower at Brock, even though his booming voice did not aid his headache. He stared back him, bravely, knowing deep down no matter what Brock knew, he deserved this. Brock grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him off the couch and held him up, so his legs were hanging just above the ground.

"Seen the papers this morning?" Brock spat. "I wondered where the hell you were when you didn't answer your phone last night."

At this, Brock threw Ash back on the sofa, and then tossed the morning newspaper onto his lap. Ash looked down, already knowing what would be staring back at him. Sure enough, there it was; a photo of Roxy kissing him.

"She framed me," Ash hissed, more to himself than Brock. He looked up at his eldest male friend. "Brock, you can't seriously think I would cheat on Misty willingly?"

"Why didn't you answer your phone, Ash? Misty needed you last night!" Brock said, almost entirely ignoring the other male's inquiry.

"I was in a cab on the way home, coming to sort things with her. I got back and she wasn't here. I thought she'd left me, Brock, I was devastated! So, I apologise if I wasn't in the mood to talk," Ash finished his words with a sarcastic mutter.

Brock sighed heavily. "You need to man up, Ash. You seriously messed up last night. I know damn well that Roxy framed you with this; she blatantly had something planned given how quickly it made it to the papers."

Ash stood up at this point. He wasn't quite tall enough to be level with Brock's face, but he barely had to tilt his head.

"Whether she had something planned or not, I would never, ever cheat on Mist! You know I've loved her for the past eight years, at least! You saw how devastated I was when she was Ben, you know better than anyone! Stop talking bullshit to me Brock, I know I messed up with her and I shouldn't have left last night, but you know I'd never intentionally hurt her. Ever."

The two males stared each other down for a moment, Brock had his arms folded, clearly still unimpressed with Ash. Ash had his shoulders raised, almost like he was in a battle stance. Eventually, his shoulders dropped, and his head fell to the floor.

"Ash, you have no idea," Brock muttered.

"I guess you showed Misty the photograph," Ash murmured solemnly, missing Brock's statement.

Brock's voice was stern. "No. For both your sakes, mostly hers, I'll admit. I came here to get the truth from you, and to make sure you were okay; she was worried about you last night."

Ash smiled softly. "Typical, Mist…"

"I know you wouldn't cheat on her," Brock assured him. "I was just mad at you; this shouldn't have happened, Ash," Brock scolded, picking up the paper and holding it out to the younger male. "But, we've got bigger problems, which is mostly why I'm angry at you for not being here last night..."

Ash's head shot up and met the breeder's eyes. "Bigger problems?"

* * *

Misty was sat with Suzy in Brock's kitchen, both sipping their morning drinks absent-mindedly. It had been tense since Brock had left, even though he'd held his anger back in front of the two women, simply stating he was going to find Ash. Suzy reassured Misty constantly, but it was mostly in vain; the red-head felt physically sick. The previous night had almost felt too surreal to be reality, but when Misty woke up in Brock's guest room the following morning, she knew her nightmare was very much real.

The girls heard the front door burst open, causing Misty to abandon her mug on the dining table and head to the doorway. Before she even made it, a flustered Ash burst into the room, and upon seeing his wife, began to cry.

"Oh, Mist," he sobbed, grabbing her and hugging her tightly. Misty was mildly surprised by her husband's outburst, but hugged him back, rubbing his back soothingly as he cried onto her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Mist. I'm so, so, sorry!"

Suzy gave Brock a meaningful look, silently telling him to give them some privacy as she left the room. Brock obliged, but kept within earshot, knowing Ash might have some difficulty explaining himself.

Ash pulled away from the embrace once he'd calmed down, resting his forehead against Misty's.

"I thought you'd left me," he murmured. Misty smiled softly.

"Never," she whispered.

Ash sighed as he pulled back. "Don't speak too soon."

He gestured to the dining table, and the pair sat down, Misty watching him with expectation and worry as he pulled a crumbled newspaper article from his pocket.

"You were completely right about Roxy," Ash began. "She's a fame hungry whore, and I'm sorry it took this much for me to realise."

Ash inhaled sharply after unfolding the paper and pushing it toward Misty. Looking at the photograph over, her expression was unreadable to Ash. After a few moments of heavy silence, Ash spoke.

"I didn't want to kiss her, she shoved herself on me and-"

"I don't care," Misty said, interrupting him. Her voice was soft, which shocked him. He'd prefer her to yell at him than be paralysed by devastation.

"Mist, I'm so sorry, I-"

"No, Ash," Misty interrupted him again. "I don't care about this, period. Your expression says that you weren't expecting it or enjoying it," she said, gesturing to the photo. "We've got more to worry about than some stupid slut," Misty concluded, placing a protective hand on her growing stomach.

Ash sighed heavily. "Brock told me."

He placed a supportive hand over his wife's, which was still on her stomach. Her eyes met his and Ash's heart sunk; they were drowning in despair and desperation. His own eyes filled with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Mist. I should have been there last night," he choked. "I'm so sorry."

Seeing her husband so upset caused Misty to choke up too, and she embraced her husband tightly.

"We've been married for five months, and I'm already failing as a husband," he sobbed, his words muffled slightly as he had his face dug into her shoulder.

"You are not failing," Misty said, firmly. "You made one mistake."

"Well, I swear to Arceus, Mist, I'm not leaving your side anymore."

* * *

The kitchen had been silent for a while now. Brock looked up from his Pokémon magazine, his eyes widening as a realisation dawned on him . He'd left Misty with Ash, who had inadvertently cheated on her last night, in the kitchen. He'd left an easily jealous, hot-headed woman, who was now fuelled by pregnancy hormones, with her husband, who was normally the reason for her anger, in the room with sharp knives.

'Oh Mew, what if she's killed him?!' Brock thought.

Brock scurried into the kitchen, to find Ash and Misty, thankfully, just hugging. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're not dead, thank Arceus!"

Ash and Misty pulled apart, with raised eyebrows.

"You thought I was going to kill him?" Misty said, laughing as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Well, not initially, but I didn't hear any shouting," Brock said, looking at Ash meaningfully. Ash smiled guiltily, and Misty responded.

"He told me, I don't care; the matter at hand is a lot more important," Misty said, her face serious.

Brock nodded. "Yeah, I think we need to talk about how to handle this."

"Where's the note?" Ash asked. Brock located the paper from the counter and handed it to the Kanto Champion. "Don't forget, I'll get you for what you did," Ash read aloud. "Not very creative is he? Can't we just take this to the police and get him locked up?"

Brock folded his arms and leant against the worktop. "It's our word against his, Ash. You and Misty are both very high profile trainers, it's common for celebrities to get threats like this from complete strangers."

"But surely he's left fingerprints or something on it?"

Brock sighed. "I thought about that Ash, but he's been very careful not to handwrite the message so it's not distinguishable, so no doubt he's thought about concealing fingerprints. Plus, me and Misty talked about it, who's to say he was even the one who delivered it?"

Ash groaned, his eyes reading the letter over and over again. "I think we should go give it to Officer Jenny anyway, to double check."

Ash nodded in agreement with his older friend. "I also think me and Misty need to get moved out of our apartment as soon as possible."

"I agree," Brock said. "But we need to get you somewhere safe, where Ben won't know about. Here's not an option, given he knows where I live."

"Your mom's might be good, if she's okay with us invading her house again," Misty said, turning to Ash.

"Does Ben not know where she lives?" Ash asked, eyebrows raised.

Misty dipped her head. "I didn't really talk about you very much," she mumbled. Ash looked hurt, and Brock shifted uncomfortably; he'd spoken to Misty about this in the previous night.

"We were still best friends though," Ash said, his tone leaking upset. Misty sighed.

"I know. Ben just didn't like you very much."

Ash furrowed his brow. "Why not?"

"It doesn't matter," Misty said. Ash, noticing her uncomfortable behaviour, pushed her further. This continued for a while, until eventually Misty cried out.

"Fine! It's because he could tell I was still in love with you, okay?"

For a few moments, Ash allowed the information to digest, wondering why she'd been so secretive about it. Then it struck him like Pikachu's thunderbolt.

"Is that why the abuse started?" he murmured. Misty stared at her stomach, twiddling her thumbs uncomfortably.

"Brock, you tell him," Misty said as she stood up, her chair screeching due to friction with the floor as it moved. The subject was still sensitive to her, so she went in search for Pikachu for a cuddle. Brock nodded at her, giving her a weak smile as she left. Ash looked at Brock, baffled and upset.

"Ash," Brock said, sitting beside him, in the chair Misty occupied moments earlier. "Yes, that is why the abuse started. It's also why they got engaged."

Ash's eyes were already brimming with tears. "What do you mean?"

Brock sighed. "He told her that if she didn't marry him, he'd hurt you."

Ash was speechless. He rested his elbows on the table and held his head in his hands, true devastation engulfing him. Misty had endured nearly a year of abuse, for him.

* * *

Later that day, Brock and Suzy had gone to collect Ash and Misty's belongings from their apartment, whilst Ash and Misty snuggled on Brock's sofa. Plans had been made with Delia for the couple to stay with her again for a while, until they found a new home. Ash was running his hand up and down Misty's shoulder comfortingly, when he spoke.

"I can't believe what you went through for me," he said, looking at his wife with great admiration, as well as devastation. Misty smiled weakly.

"You were worth it."

Ash sighed heavily. "You know I'd rather die than see you hurt, right?"

Misty responded by kissing his lips lightly. "Well, that's what I thought," she murmured. "I just wish it was over."

"Everything's going to be okay, Mist. I promise, I'll get us out of this, one way or another."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello? *taps on glass* Anyone still there? It's been a while... I'm so, so sorry it's been this long. I'm afraid life got in the way a bit. But now, I'm currently free from coursework and exams so I've managed (finally) to complete this chapter. I'm sorry if people thought I'd forgotten this story; I haven't, and I promise to see it through to the end :) Anyway, enough of my ramblings, here's Chapter 14. You know, if there's still any readers left :P**

* * *

A month had passed. Misty was comfortably into her sixth month of pregnancy, and her bump was no longer disguisable. Despite Ash's best efforts, the press cottoned onto Misty expecting, and the entire region was going wild. Thankfully, Ash and Misty had moved back into Delia's home, safe from the prying eyes of the paparazzi.

"I feel bad invading your mom's house again," Misty admitted. She was stood at Ash's bedroom window, dressed in her white nightgown, which was covered by a fluffy light pink dressing gown. Ash sighed from the bed where he was sat, running a hand through his dark locks.

"Yeah, but we didn't have much choice," he replied. Misty echoed her husband's sigh, and then nodded solemnly. As expected, despite going to the police with it, the letter gave no evidence they could use against Ben; there was no sign of fingerprints and with both Ash and Misty being such high-profile trainers, the culprit could quite literally be almost anyone. The residents of Pallet were on guard for suspicious characters, but Ash and Misty were still restless, at a loss as to how to handle the situation. Misty was in a permanent state of terror. She ran her hand over her bump protectively, as she absentmindedly stared out of the bedroom window, her eyes scanning the outside area like a Noctowl.

"I'm opening the Indigo League in a couple of months," Ash said, distracting her inadvertently. "Lance told me today."

"That's awesome," Misty said, trying to force enthusiasm, and failing considerably. To Ash, she was as transparent as the element she loved. He'd grown concerned over the past month that was slumping into a deep depression; the roaring flame that burned in her eyes was withering more and more every day, her determination wilting like the flowers in the bitter autumn breeze.

"I think you should be there with me," Ash said. Misty's eyes widened in surprise.

"What? You know it's not safe!" her voice was shaky, bordering on hysterical. Ash rose from the bed to embrace his wife, calming her in an instant as his arms acted as a shield from her upset.

"The League has some of the best security around, everything will be okay. I'm worried that you've barely left the house, Mist. Plus, Ben's probably just throwing empty threats at us. It's been a month and nothing's happened."

If he were to be honest, Ash wasn't fully convinced by his own words, but he knew he needed to help Misty beat her demons, for her own sake as well as the baby's. Feeling Misty shake in his arms caused his heart to drop; he wanted to murder Ben for what he'd done to her. The moonlight poured in through the window, illuminating Misty's pretty face in a faint silver glow. Ash kissed her forehead gently, and then murmured.

"I think you should try and sleep, Mist."

After a moment of hesitation, Misty nodded in agreement. Removing her dressing gown, she made her way over to the bed (it was a double airbed that Delia had inflated in the middle of Ash's bedroom floor; Ash's single was a little cramped for three, plus Pikachu) and timidly pulled the duvet onto herself as she rested her head on the pillow. Ash stared at her for a few moments, noting how much she resembled a terrified a little girl; her eyes wide and alert, her fists tight around the edge of the duvet. Sighing, Ash climbed into bed beside her, running a soothing hand through her auburn locks. He waited until he was convinced she was fully asleep, and then allowed himself to be overcome with sleep also.

* * *

"Charizard, flamethrower!" Ash cried across the arena.

It was the following day, and Ash was at work, training for the upcoming league. He was battling against one of the members of the Elite Four, Aurora, who specialised in ice types. The granddaughter of Pyrce, the former leader of the Mahogany Gym in Johto, Aurora had grown up surrounded by ice Pokémon, and her knowledge was exquisite.

"Glaceon, agility!" Aurora called to her battling Pokémon. Gracefully, Glaceon avoided the bursts of flame that were sent in its direction, eliciting a smile on its trainer's face. "Excellent, Glaceon! Now, use Rain Dance to cool off Charizard!"

After crying out its name, Glaceon obliged, and rain clouds began to cover the battle field, drenching both the trainers and their respective Pokémon. Aurora and Glaceon were unfazed, but Charizard was visibly irritated by the rainfall, typical for a fire-type.

Ash was baffled. His mind had gone completely blank, rendering him basically useless, and seeing his Pokémon in pain was causing him to become panicked. His clenched his fists and groaned, his hair sticking to his face from the rain, desperately racking his brain for a solution. However, he was too slow, and all it took was three words from Aurora and Ash knew it was over.

"Use Aqua Tail!"

It happened before Ash almost in slow motion. He saw Glaceon hurtle toward Charizard, whose eyes were closed as he flailed against the rain, and slapped him with a great amount of force, and water. Ash cried out Charizard's name as he fell to the ground, defeated. It was over.

As Glaceon and Aurora celebrated, with Aurora stroking her Pokémon's back as she uttered words of appreciation and pride, Ash called Charizard back to his ball as the rainclouds cleared.

"I let you down, buddy. We should have won that easy," Ash murmured solemnly to the Pokéball in his right hand. Aurora looked up at Ash and seeing his saddened face she felt a pang of sympathy; she knew Ash had heavier things on his mind than training. She recalled Glaceon with one last word of thanks, and was about to walk over to Ash to give her condolences, but she was beaten to the raven-haired Champion.

"What the hell, Ketchum?"

It was Lance, and his booming voice would rival the roars of all of his dragon Pokémon put together. Ash cringed; most of the time, Lance was a very kind, calm individual. However, since becoming Chairman of the League, he was under a lot of pressure from the committee, which, naturally, lead him to become a tad stressed out at times.

"You should have won that match easily. Hell, I set you up with Aurora knowing you'd have the type advantage and you _still_ lost!"

Ash knew he had no defence, so just stood, hat over his eyes, half-listening as Lance rambled on. Feeling she'd heard enough, Aurora called out to Lance as she walked over.

"Give it a rest, Lance," her tone was firm, but still respectful. "You know damn well Ash is a great trainer, everyone goes through a rough patch," Aurora explained, arms folded. "Besides, he beat you, did he not?"

Lance scowled and Aurora gave him a smirk with raised eyebrows in response; she knew she was the victor in both battles on this field. The former champion turned to Ash once more.

"Fine, but you need to sort yourself out, Ketchum. I know you have a lot on at the moment, but the League won't give a crap about that; you lose the match, you lose your title."

At his last words, Lance stormed off in the direction he came, earning an eye roll from the ice queen.

"Don't let him bother you, Ash, he's turned into such a stress head since he became Chairman. You're an amazing trainer."

Ash smiled at her kindness. "I appreciate that, but I haven't really been showing it lately," he trailed off, frowning.

"Hey, it's only natural, you have a lot going on in your personal life, and the press won't leave you alone. Give yourself a break."

"It's not me I'm worried about," Ash admitted. "Mist's been really down this past month."

Aurora smiled softly in sympathy; Misty was a good friend of hers. "Poor Misty… Is there anything I can do?"

Ash shook his head as it dropped. "I don't know, Aurora, I really don't know what to do anymore."

Aurora placed a hand of sympathy on his shoulder. Ash didn't even look up; it was almost like he was numb, like he'd been struck by Glaceon's blizzard. After a few moments of heavy, contemplative silence, Ash spoke up.

"I'm so crap lately…"

"Your training might be slightly off at the moment, but you're excelling at being a husband. That's what Misty needs right now; a hero, not a champion."

Ash ran a hand through his hair; Aurora may be right but Ash's doubts were definitely not extinguished.

* * *

About an hour later, Ash headed over to the other practice field, where Misty was battling Elesa, now a member of the Unova Elite Four. The pair had battled in the Pokémon World Tournament years ago, and Elesa had been itching for a rematch ever since. Ash had arranged the battle in the hope that battling would help Misty defeat her demons and reignite the spark within her.

Reaching the field, Ash furrowed his brow. Elesa was sat on the opposite side of the room, on the bleachers, looking incredibly bored. Her head was resting on her hand, and she was tapping her foot impatiently. Her hair was as dark as a cruel man's heart; she'd kept it black to avoid being conceived as a bimbo, which she definitely was not. The straight-talking electric-type trainer was still model material, despite the years that had passed; her body was still impeccable, with slender long legs not dissimilar to Ash's wife.

"Ah, Ketchum number 1!" she called out, noticing him. She stood, her dress clutching onto her curves tightly. She carried her skin in such an effortlessly graceful manner as she walked toward the Champion, her model background shining through. "Where the hell is your wife? I've been waiting nearly an hour!"

"She didn't show?" Ash asked. _Oh god._

Elesa shook her head. She was about to speak, but Ash no longer cared what she had to say, instead, he turned on his heel and dashed to the League front desk, leaving a bewildered Elesa in his wake.

"Derek," he panted, leaning against the counter of reception. "Have you seen Misty?"

Derek, the rather round security guard, looked at Ash in confusion. "Yeah, she left about forty five minutes ago, she said you and her were going home!"

Ash groaned. "Right, thanks."

Although relieved she was probably physically safe, Ash couldn't help but fear for Misty's mental wellbeing. He charged toward his car, the very vehicle he'd brought Misty in that morning. He opened the door as Elesa cried out, heading toward him.

"What on Earth's going on, Mr Champion? Are Misty and I battling or what?"

"Elesa, I'm really sorry, I think Misty got the time wrong…"

Elesa rolled her eyes. "Quit with the Tauros shit. I spoke to Aurora; I've heard Misty's not feeling great lately."

Ash sighed. "Fine, you got me, just let me go get her and-"

"No way," Elesa interrupted. "I wanna come with. Aurora said you're struggling with how to deal with this, she seemed pretty upset too. Let me help."

Knowing how stubborn Elesa could be, Ash reluctantly agreed, and the pair climbed into the car.

* * *

Having arrived at Delia's house, Elesa had instructed Ash to stay downstairs.

"You're cute, but right now, you're pretty hopeless. Go make us some tea, I'll be down in a second."

Ash had huffed, but obeyed, joining his mother in the kitchen. Elesa made her way upstairs, having gotten directions to his room from Ash, and knocked lightly on the door. Without waiting for a response, Elesa barged in, her stiletto boots tapping on the floor with every step, each forming an echo in the silent room. The curtains were closed, cloaking the room with a protective darkness. In the airbed in the centre of the room, with the duvet over her head, was Misty.

Hand on hip, Elesa remarked. "My god, there is so much wrong with this picture."

Misty's head poked out from under the duvet, her eyes puffy and bloodshot.

"Oh, Elesa, was our battle today?" she murmured, pathetically.

Elesa scoffed. "Forget the battle," she said firmly, pulling the curtains open with force. "You and I need to talk."

Reluctantly, Misty slowly pulled herself out of bed, sitting on the edge tentatively. Her hair was dishevelled, and she was back in her nightgown.

"Is Ash mad?" she whispered. Elesa sighed, sitting on the bed beside Misty, her already short dress slipping even further up her thigh.

"No, he's incredibly worried about you though, and feels useless; he thought the battle would cheer you up."

Guilt began to drown Misty. She held her head in her hands, tears pooling her eyes.

"What the hell happened to you? When I last saw you, you were so feisty, hot-headed… I had a real respect for you; you reminded me of myself. In fact, I wished to be more like you."

Misty scoffed. "You're a model, why on Earth would you wanna be like me? You're beautiful."

Elesa chuckled. "Because you don't give a shit about what anyone thinks! I'm beautiful with _a lot_ of effort; you're stunning with none whatsoever. And seriously, you and that Gyrados of yours are _so_ badass. I was very, very impressed."

Elesa's compliments seemingly fell on deaf ears. "Why are you here, Elesa?"

The electric-type trainer frowned. "Because there's no way in hell I'm letting one of the greatest females I've ever met get beaten by a dickhead."

"He's not beating me," Misty said, barely above a whisper, not meeting the other female's eyes.

Elesa scoffed. "He is Misty. He may not have done anything for a while, but he doesn't have to; he's in your head. You're terrified."

Misty felt like she'd been hit with a thundershock. Was Elesa meant to be helping?

"I mean, look at you; you're hiding in a darkened room, you don't wanna battle, you've put on weight…"

"I'm pregnant!" Misty snapped, placing a hand on her rounded stomach subconsciously. Elesa smirked; she'd gotten the reaction she wanted.

"Oh yeah, sorry," she said with a giggle. It wasn't long before her voice turned serious again, however. "Look, don't let this guy beat you, Misty. You're giving him what he wants! You're miserable, Ash is miserable, there's even a sad clown in your house and that is just mega depressing…"

"That's Mr Mime," Misty scowled. "He's a Pokémon…"

Elesa's eyes widened. "You're kidding? I thought it was Ash's little brother playing dress up or something… You have some freakin' weird Pokémon in this region…" Misty raised her eyebrows. "Anyway, I'm getting off topic. Do you really want to give Ben what he wants? Because right now, Misty, you are."

At that, Elesa stood from the bed and walked to the doorway, swaying her hips with each step. She turned, facing the Water Elite once again. "You've got a wonderful husband and a baby on the way… Don't let him ruin it for you. You and Ash could take on the world together."

With that, Elesa left, shutting the door gently behind her. Misty sat on the bed, mildly flabbergasted; so far, no-one had taken the blunt approach that Elesa had taken in an attempt to revive Misty. That said, there were very few that could pull it off with as much style and grace as Elesa; it was her natural persona to be frank and egotistical. Delia had mollycoddled her, knowing the fear of uncertainty and lack of safety all too well in her past. Ash was inconsistent; flitting from indulging her every wish to immersing her in tough love. Elesa had said it how it was, and now that Misty thought about it, she realised she was right. Ben was winning. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw a broken woman. She now understood why Ash had look so devastated every time he looked at her. She was falling apart.

* * *

Half an hour later, Delia, Ash and Elesa were sat in the Ketchum kitchen, having shared a rather awkward cup of tea. Delia had barely been able to keep her eyes off Elesa, slightly bewildered by the girl's fashion choices. Ash had been pestering her about what she'd told his wife, but Elesa was as stubborn as a Zebstrika, keeping her mouth, for once, firmly shut. Ash was about to probe her again, when all three heard footsteps make their way down the stairs. In sync, the three humans turned their heads toward the kitchen doorway, then shared glances of what they thought may be overly optimistic excitement. That was until Misty appeared in the doorway.

She leaned against the doorway casually. Her hair was in a low ponytail that rested over her right shoulder, just reaching past it. She was wearing a yellow jumper that covered her bump neatly, and a pair of white cropped maternity jeans. Completing her outfit were a pair of red trainers with yellow lightning bolts of the side, not too dissimilar to the pair she wore when she travelled with Ash. It wasn't her clothing that Ash noticed however. It was the competitive smirk, and more importantly, the sparkle in her eyes.

"Hey, Elesa," Misty said. "Still up for that battle?"

* * *

**A/N: I hope to God that wasn't horrendous. I actually started this a week after my last update, but only got inspiration to have Elesa give Misty a kick up the arse literally yesterday. By the way, I don't really have plans to write the battle between Elesa and Misty, I just wanted to show that Elesa's technique of making Misty feel she was losing to Ben had worked. Feel free to use your imaginations about how the battle goes (I'm rooting for Misty) ;) Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Two updates in two days; you can tell I have nothing else to worry about right now haha. To be honest, it's you guys that have caused me to update so quickly; I was reading through all the reviews earlier, and your support inspired me to write more. :) I'm afraid this one is a little shorter, but it has a slight cameo from Brock, so I hope that makes up for it ;)**

* * *

"Oh I'm so excited" Misty said, clapping her hands together in joy. Delia smiled happily in response to her daughter-in-law.

"It'll be a lovely day won't it?" The pair were sat in Delia's kitchen, enjoying one last hot drink before they set off for the Indigo Plateau. Today, Ash was opening the Pokémon League. Delia was donning a knee-length, lilac dress with matching purple hat with a flower on the rim. To complete her outfit, she wore a pair of satin purple heels. Misty was wearing a beautiful deep blue lace number that also reached just above her knee. It was sleeveless, and clung to her pregnancy curves elegantly. Given that she was eight months into pregnancy, Misty figured there was no longer any use attempting to hide her bump, so decided to embrace it instead (thanks to yet another 'gentle' push from Elesa). She was also wearing some pretty white flat pumps, not wanting to risk heels at this late stage.

Ash entered the kitchen, looking surprisingly frantic. He was wearing a grey suit, with a shirt that was the same blue as Misty's dress. She'd wanted them to match, given that today, she'd decided to take on the role as 'First Lady' rather than an Elite Four member. She could stand on stage as an Elite every year, whereas showing support for her husband was a once in a lifetime chance for the opening ceremony. It was opened by a different 'VIP' every year, making it a very prestigious opportunity to speak. Ash, knowing this, was petrified about his speech.

"I can't find my notes," he said, almost so quickly it merged into one sentence, dashing around the kitchen frantically.

"In the living room, sweetheart," Delia said, smiling in sympathy. Misty giggled lightly, hand placed on her large bump.

"Bless him, he's so nervous. I'm not even sure if he slept last night."

Delia was about to reply when Ash burst back in. Misty giggled again and beckoned him over.

"Darling," she said, giving him a light kiss on the lips. "You'll be amazing."

Ash had always found the effect Misty had on him very odd; she could flip his mood in an instant with just a simple statement or action. When they were kids, she could make him as angry as a rampant Tauros with just one snide remark. Now, just a few words of reassurance were enough to calm him. He smiled, gently placing a kiss to her forehead.

"You're right, as always," he murmured lovingly. "Let's go."

* * *

"Oh my goodness, they've sure put a lot of effort into this haven't they?" Delia exclaimed, looking round in awe as they entered the stadium. The layout was basically the same as an amphitheatre, with a large battlefield in the middle of the arena, and various levels of bleachers surrounding it in an oval, and it was an open air space. Doted around the stadium were hundreds of balloons, each one a shape of a different Pokémon in Kanto. Behind the bleachers, large replicas of each of the Kanto badges stood proudly, one in each eighth of the area. Misty couldn't help but smile slightly as she caught sight of her own Cascade badge. In the middle of the dusty battlefield was a stage, containing a microphone and a few chairs in a row behind it.

"That must be where you're making your speech," Misty said, using her free hand to point; her other arm was linked in Ash's.

"Pikaaaaa," Pikachu said from Ash's feet, still in awe of the stadium.

"Yeah, I'm actually quite excited now. The place looks great," Ash agreed.

Their conversation was cut short as Lance dashed past them with a clipboard, hurling instructions at a group of workmen who were attempting to get away from him. A few seconds after Lance, Aurora appeared, sharing a glance of mortification with Ash and Misty, whilst Delia looked a little startled.

"Don't mind him, Mrs Ketchum," Aurora said, referring to her boss. "He's completely freaking out. He wants everything to be perfect; he does this every year..."

Misty snorted. "Too true. Last year, I swear he nearly gave himself a heart-attack. He's such a hot-head..."

"Look who's talking," Ash muttered playfully, earning a swat on the arm from his wife.

Aurora smiled at the couple, pleased that in the past couple of months they'd seemed so much more relaxed and happy. "Well, good luck with your speech, Ash. I'll be right behind you, uh, literally," she said, pointing to the chairs meant for the Elite Four. "But also metaphorically; best of luck!"

After a word of thanks from Ash, Aurora disappeared off once more, presumably to go cool off her raging boss.

* * *

The ceremony was about to begin. Ash and Misty were waiting at the sidelines, hidden away, until they received their cue to enter. Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice call out.

"Ash! Misty!"

They turned, and beamed at the source of the sound.

"Hey Brock!" they greeted him.

"Just wanted to wish you good luck," he said, shaking Ash's hand. "Gary and Professor Oak are here too, we'll be with your mom, cheering you on."

Ash smiled, touched at the effort they'd made. "Thanks Brock, and thank Gary and Professor Oak for coming too."

Brock nodded, and with that, dashed off to take his spot in the bleachers.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen," called the announcer over the speakers. "I am pleased to announce the one-hundred and thirty forth annual Indigo League tournament!" The crowd erupted into a chorus of cheering. "To open this year's ceremony, please welcome current Kanto champion Mr. Ash Ketchum, accompanied by his wife, Kanto Elite Four member, Misty!"

The crowd went insane. The stadium was packed, and the sound that echoed off the walls was incredible. People were jumping up and down in hysteria, waving banners, and screaming; the excitement was electric. Ash and Misty were elated as they walked across the arena to the stage, hand in hand. Pikachu rested in his usual place on Ash's shoulder, loving all the attention. Ash and Misty were very much loved in their region, and if they hadn't realised it before, they certainly had now. Ash helped his heavily pregnant wife up the steps to the stage. He tried to make her sit with the other Elite Four members but she was defiant; she was going to stand behind Ash on his left, proudly taking her 'First Lady' spot. Normally, Ash would argue with her but, feeling thousands of prying eyes on him and Misty's look of desperation, he let her off and turned to the microphone.

Having cleared his throat, he spoke. "Hello there, and welcome to, as Brian said, the one hundred and thirty forth Indigo League tournament! I actually competed in this very tournament twice myself. The first time, I was ten years old, a novice. I made the top sixteen, but lost to a close friend of mine. How? Well, let's just say my Charizard wasn't so obedient back then." A chorus of gracious laughter reverberated around the stadium.

"The second time, when I was nineteen, was very different. I topped the tournament, earning me the chance to take on the Elite Four and the champion, several of whom are stood behind me today," he turned to them, and they smiled supportably in return. Even Lance gave the raven haired trainer a nod of acknowledgement.

"They were incredible trainers, and I'm not just saying that because I'd been dating one of them nearly five years... Lance, those days were the best," The crowd laughed once again, and Lance couldn't help but chuckle also. "Becoming Champion was unbelievable, and I can't thank my region enough for the support you've given me. But, the point I want to make is to never give up. It took nine years for me to become Champion, and I want all those trainers that will be getting their first Pokémon in a few weeks time to know that the journey will be the best part, so enjoy every single second. To those of you competing in this year's tournament, I wish you all the best of luck; I hope to see you stood opposite me on the battle field in a couple of weeks."

The crowd cheered again, this time louder than ever. Ash looked to his left and saw his mother and friends in the front row of the bleachers, smiling on proudly. Misty reflected their expressions, and mouthed 'I love you,' to him. Ash smiled at her, lovingly, but his attention was suddenly averted by screams of horror from in front of him. He turned, to see a large beam of energy hurtling right toward Misty, who could only watch on in fear, knowing she'd never be fast enough to escape. Without a thought, Ash dived, pushing her out the way and to safety, but in turn, sacrificed his own well-being. The beam smashed into his side, and he fell from the stage with a thump, clouding him with dust.

Then, chaos erupted.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Third update in three days; you guys deserve it! I'm still overwhelmed by your support, seriously, thank you all so much! To avoid confusion, the part in Italics is Brock recounting the previous few hours. The parts not in Italics are present day. Hope this avoids any confusion…**

* * *

A mother lost a son that day. A few lost a trainer. Many lost a friend. He'd acquired almost as many enemies as friends, but his death still shattered many people's worlds. The news spread quickly, as news of a death does. No matter what the circumstances of the life, there will always be some mourning the death. She sobbed for her child, they cried for their trainer, they wept for their friend.

* * *

_It happened so fast, yet at the same time almost in slow-motion. It was like I was no longer autonomous; I was suddenly being controlled by my body, rather than me controlling it. The second we saw Ash get hit by the blast of energy, Gary and I were off our feet. Being in the first row of the bleachers, we swung our legs over the barriers and began to run, run as quickly as our feet would carry us, ignoring the constraint of our aging physiques, dust flying off our feet with every step. I heard Delia call out Ash's name, in a cry that could only be wept by a mother for her son. I wanted to turn back and help reassure her, but I knew I had to leave her in the comfort of Professor Oak for now; Gary and I needed to deal with Ash and Misty._

_They'd both been hurt. Although Ash had managed to save Misty from the beam that would have undoubtedly killed her and her unborn child instantly, he'd also inadvertently pushed her off the stage in his desperation to get her to safety. Ash was bleeding. I could see it even from the fair distance I was at. Two members of the Elite Four went to aid him, Aurora went to Misty. Lance, meanwhile, was yelling commands to the security team, telling them to show no mercy to the culprit._

"_Who do we go to?" Gary yelled, his voice strained from running and shock. I knew what he meant; one of us needed to go to Ash, the other to Misty. As much as their consideration was appreciated, we both knew that the couple needed us, not the Elite Four, right now. I made a split second decision._

"_Go to Misty," I yelled, over the screams of the crowd who were now in a complete rampage of fear. Security had sprung into action, but the atmosphere in the arena was frantic. "I need to check Ash's bleeding."_

_He didn't respond but I knew he'd heard me. Words seemed so meaningless right now. Action was needed._

_Misty fell further than Ash, so Gary reached her before I did Ash, and leant down next to Aurora. Aurora was attempting to help Misty up, who'd just managed to gain consciousness after her fall. However, she only managed to get Misty sat upright until she saw Ash. I heard her cry out his name, the heartbreak and fear evident in her scream. The shouting in the background seemed to fall silent, and Misty's distressed sob just seemed to echo over and over in my head. I wanted to comfort her so desperately, but I knew the best way to do was to help Ash._

"_Get out of the way, I'm a doctor!" I yelled, a little more aggressively than I'd intended, but I was too fuelled with adrenaline to care. Obediently, the two remaining Elites removed themselves from Ash, and I'd already torn off my jacket and wrapped it around the wound on Ash's side, then applied pressure. "Ash can you hear me?" I shouted. He groaned in pain, his eyes flickering slightly. I slapped his cheek with a fair amount of force. "Stay with me, buddy, stay with me," I kept saying, over and over, until my voice sounding like I was pleading with him. I was._

"_Brock," he said, huskily, his weakness evident. I felt my heart skip a beat; I'd never seen him so lifeless, so drained. "Take care of them for me."_

"_I won't need to Ash because you're going to live, you hear me? You're going to live!" I was almost yelling at him now, unsure of who I was trying to convince, me or himself. I could hear sirens whirring loudly; help was on the way. "Don't leave Misty now, Ash. She needs you. Your baby needs you. God damn it, we all need you. Don't be selfish Ash, stay with me, stay with all of us."_

_I couldn't help it, tears were freely falling now. I'd never felt such a mixture of heartache, despair and anger in my life._

* * *

"_Brock!" I heard Gary yell, his voice cracking._

_I tore my gaze from Ash to the direction of Gary's voice, my face dropping even further. Gary looked panicked and grief-stricken. Misty was bent over, her hand grasping her stomach. She was crying out in pain, but at the same time shrieking Ash's name. _

"_No," I breathed. "No, no, no…"_

_I turned to Lance, who'd come to check on Ash. "Hold this!" I commanded, before he could say anything. He nodded and took my place, holding my blood-stained jacket in place on Ash's wound. I ran over to Misty, resting my hand on her shoulder._

"_Misty, what's wrong? Is it the baby?" I asked her frantically._

_She whimpered in pain. "Brock, I think something's really wrong… Is Ash okay?"_

"_Misty, listen to me," I forced her to look at me, as she breathed heavily, hand still firmly on her stomach. "You have the baby to think about, try to stay calm, breathe, Ash will be fine. I promise."_

_I barely believed my own words, but I had to try and keep her calm, for the baby's sake. Two ambulances came roaring through the arena, causing dust to fly in all directions. As the paramedics jumped out, I left Misty's side to yell out to them._

"My friend needs help right away, she's pregnant and her baby's in danger!"

"_No, Brock!" she yelled. "Let them help Ash!"_

_I leant back down beside her. "They will Misty, they will, but you need help too. Okay?"_

_Her eyes met mine, and my heart snapped. She looked broken, lost, terrified, but willing._

* * *

_I helped the paramedics aid Misty into the back of one ambulance, whilst Gary stayed with Ash whilst he was loaded into the other. _

"_Someone stay with Ash, please," Misty cried. I really felt for her; she was so used to being by Ash's side when he landed himself in situations like this, but instead, she was in danger too this time. Delia and Professor Oak came running over at this point, having finally made it through the ruckus. Delia looked completely panicked, as a mother would be. Seeing Misty in the ambulance, she turned to me._

"_Oh gosh, Brock, tell me the baby's okay? I can't lose…" she broke off, her words choking her. _

"_Everything will be fine, Delia, I promise."_

_She glanced back at Misty, who was sobbing, physical and mental pain overcoming her. She turned back to me._

"_Go with Ash. Misty needs me."_

_I was surprised, but nodded, and ran to jump in the back of the other ambulance with Gary and a now barely conscious Ash. Every second he was delving deeper and deeper into death._

* * *

Suzy reached for Brock's hand, clasping it in her own. They were in Viridian hospital waiting room, awaiting news. She could feel him shaking violently, clearly and understandably shaken by the events of the day.

"I'll never be able to get Misty's crying out of my head," he said, his voice cracking. He began to sob softly now, which caused Suzy to cry also. She wrapped her arms around Brock tightly, embracing him as they cried together.

"Delia's with Misty now," Brock managed to cough out. "She's having an emergency caesarean. She wasn't even due for another month, but the baby was under a lot of stress and she fell on her stomach when Ash pushed her. They don't know if it'll…"

He couldn't bring himself to say it. He already loved that child so much. He loved Ash and Misty too, and he'd just watched their world's fall apart. "Ash is in surgery, but he was in a critical condition… It's not looking good…"

"Mr Slate?" Brock and Suzy pulled apart, their sobs subsiding at the new presence in the room. They both looked up to see Officer Jenny, a serious yet sympathetic expression on her pretty face.

"Yes, Officer?" Brock said.

"Having examined CCTV footage, we identified the culprit as Benjamin Hayden. The beam of energy was a hyper beam attack, launched by his Mightyena."

Brock stood on his feet. "I'll rip that bastard to shreds," his voice boomed around the waiting room, earning several glances from concerned patients.

"Sir, can you please calm down. There's more," Officer Jenny said firmly.

Brock exhaled heavily, but obediently retook his seat, Suzy stroking his arm in an attempt to calm him.

"We found Mr Hayden at his apartment," Officer Jenny continued. "He'd committed suicide. He'd left a note stating that his final wish was to gain revenge on Mr and Mrs Ketchum," her face turned solemn. "He got his wish, seemingly."

"He's… dead?" Brock said, the entire day becoming just pure disbelief.

Officer Jenny nodded, then felt it was time for her to depart, leaving Brock and Suzy to digest the news.

"Wow," Suzy breathed. Brock exhaled heavily.

"Cowardly bastard got the easy way out," he spat. Suzy paused for a moment, as she examined her husband's shirt that was currently drenched in his best friend's blood. She saw the pain and exhaustion in his eyes and thought of the past few months, the hell Ben had put Ash and Misty through.

"At least they're safe now," she whispered. Their conversation was brought to a halt as the echo of footsteps sounded from the corridor. Delia appeared, her eyes bloodshot, looking drained of energy, devoid of emotion. Brock took a deep breath and asked.

"Any news?"

* * *

**A/N: Gah, I'm sorry, please don't hate me! For anyone who's confused, the paragraph at the start was referring to Ben; he was the one who died, not Ash. I really hope that wasn't confusing, at least by the end. I tried it on my boyfriend and he seemed to think initially it was about Ash, but understood by the end that it was talking about Ben, which I hope is what everyone gets. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it either way :) I've not written anything quite so, uh, intense, before...**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating, I lost my muse :( Thankfully, I found it again, and managed to write this. It actually turned out different than I'd originally planned; I started it and had loads of ideas, but was too tired, then woke up the next day and I'd forgotten them all, whoops. Hopefully though, you'll enjoy this :) This is a direct continuation of the previous chapter, enjoy.**

* * *

"Today has got to be one of the most bittersweet of my life," Delia choked out. Brock stared at her, and suddenly realised her tears were both of sorrow and happiness. Her lilac dress, still covered in dust from running through the League arena, was now covered by a blue gown and tear drops had patterned the chest area. Her heels were gone, replaced by a pair of slippers a nurse had kindly got her.

"The baby… Is it okay?"

Delia clasped her hands over her heart, nodding her head, more tears rolling down her cheeks as she blinked. "Absolutely perfect," she whispered.

Brock wasn't sure what he felt in that moment; relief that the baby was okay, yet a deep grief that his best friend was now a father, and didn't know, and may not ever. His heart seemed to soar and break at the same time.

"Well, congratulations grandma Ketchum," Brock said, smiling softly at the elder woman.

Delia smiled gently in return. "You too, Uncle Brock."

The title enticed something heart-wrenching in Brock. He felt he didn't quite deserve his name until the Ash had been called by his title; daddy. Would Ash ever get to hear his child call him dad?

"How's Misty doing?" Brock asked, still concerned for his other close friend, but also trying to distract his thoughts.

"She's resting," Delia said, wiping her eyes with a tissue. "Oh Brock, it was horrible, so horrible. The entire time she was sobbing, saying it wasn't right, that Ash should be there. She was right, of course, but the baby would have died if they hadn't given her a caesarean; the poor child's already in an incubator."

Brock couldn't help but wrap the woman in a hug. She was physically and emotionally drained, still crying weakly, barely having the energy to show her sadness. He bit his lip, fighting back tears, desperate to show strength for her.

"I'm not worried for the baby," Delia choked out. "If she takes anything at all after my son, she'll pull through, I know she will."

Brock's breath caught in his throat. "It's a girl?" he whispered. He felt Delia nod against his chest.

"A gorgeous little girl," Delia murmured.

The doors to the waiting room burst open, and a man, around Delia's age, appeared, looking frantic. He was wearing a black shirt and a pair of dark jeans and his shoes were trainers that looked new yet scuffed at the same time. His baggy eyes seemed to reveal a long, strenuous journey. He was breathing heavily, his dark hair all over the place, and upon seeing Delia, looked somewhat calmed almost instantly.

"Delia!" the man cried.

"Ethan!" Delia sobbed, removing herself from Brock and throwing herself into her husband's arms. "Oh I'm so glad you're here."

Delia cried freely now, and Ethan held her tightly, stroking her hair soothingly. Suzy replaced Delia in Brock's arms, and the pair watched on, upset also. Eventually, Delia pulled away, muttering apologies to the three other adults, all of whom dismissed her need to express regret.

"You must be Ash's father," Brock said, extending his hand. "I'm Brock."

Ethan smiled forcibly in the circumstances, taking Brock's hand in greeting. "It's a pleasure Brock, I've heard a lot about you."

"I can tell your Ash's dad," Brock mused. He wasn't sure what the main revealing feature was; the sparkle in his deep brown eyes, his midnight dark hair or his smile. "You look a lot alike."

Brock would never know how much his words meant to Ethan.

* * *

Later that day, Suzy had gone to collect some things from Misty's house for her, while Delia informed Ethan of the full events of the day. Brock decided to go check on Misty, who had been checked into her own room to rest. He knocked lightly on the door before entering, to see Misty in the hospital bed opposite, her eyes flickering open slightly at his arrival.

"Hi Brock," she wheezed, clearly still exhausted. She looked genuinely pleased to see him, and he was happy to see her, despite the dullness of her eyes and obvious anguish.

"How you doing?" he asked softly, pulling up the chair beside her bed.

"I'm tired," she admitted. "I didn't even give birth, I shouldn't be tired," she frowned.

Brock looked at her disapprovingly. "Your body's been under a lot today, give yourself a break!"

Misty sighed softly, too tired to argue. "Brock…" she whispered, after a moment's silence. Having received a reply from Brock, she continued. "She's over there."

It was the first time that Brock noticed the incubator in the corner of the room. The room was so bare he was surprised he hadn't previously. The floor was a dull green, the walls the classic hospital sterile white, and the only thing besides the incubator in the room was Misty's bed, the chair in which he was sat, and an end table. Brock stared at the incubator like it was a rapid Entei ready to attack him.

"I can't, Misty," he said, his voice firm and emotionless. Her hurt face almost defeated his loyalty, but not quite. "I shouldn't," he affirmed. He couldn't. Knowing he'd be seeing the little baby across the room from him before her own father, his best friend, chained him to his seat.

"Brock," Misty whispered. "He'd want you to see her."

Brock sighed heavily, questioning whether Misty was psychic or just very in-tune with what involved her husband. Either way, she was right.

"Fine," he murmured. He rose from his seat almost robotically and slowly made his way to the incubator. He paused at the final step before sight of the child.

"I'm not holding her," Brock spoke to the wall. "Ash should be the first man to do that."

Misty said nothing, but Brock knew she'd heard and agreed. With one deep inhale, he took the final step.

He'd never seen anything more amazing in his life. She was so, so tiny. Petite and premature. But he could tell from her little naked chest, rising and falling with wires stuck into it, that despite her size, she was strong, just like her parents, just like Delia hoped. She had Ash's hair, that much was clear, as she had a little collection of black hair on her tiny head. Her eyes were shut, so her eye colour was to be confirmed, but he expected she'd have Misty's cerulean. She was adorable and heart-breaking at the same time; breathing both hope and despair into Brock.

* * *

Brock left Misty to sleep after that, knowing she needed rest. Ethan was in the waiting room, head in his hands. Brock walked over to him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Despite that they'd just met, everyone's worry for Ash had united them all.

"Any news?" Brock asked.

Ethan lifted his head to meet the younger male's eyes. "He's out of surgery, in a 'critical and stable condition.' I can't tell if that's good news or bad."

Brock was about to respond when the doors opened once more to reveal Gary. A faint smile appeared on Ethan's lips.

"If it isn't Mr Gary Oak?"

Gary smiled softly in response. "Hi Ethan, good to see ya."

"You too," Ethan responded. "Despite the situation."

Gary ran a hand through his hair. "Tell me about it. Gramps has sorted everything out at the League, got the press to back off and taking care of Pikachu and the others. He's talking to Delia now."

Ethan smiled gently. "Please thank your grandfather for me. He's kept his head in all of this; he's a good man."

Gary nodded, although his thoughts seemed elsewhere. Brock placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You did great too, Gary."

Gary didn't seem convinced, clearly shaken by the events. "C'mon, let's go get some fresh air," Brock suggested. Gary obliged, and the pair went toward the exit, having been told by Ethan he was going to check on Ash.

* * *

He'd wanted to see Ash before Delia, to assess the damage. His wife was still clearly distressed and didn't want to put her under any more upset. He reached the corridor where he was told Ash's room was and came to an abrupt stop. Stood about halfway down the corridor, facing one of the doorways, was a young woman in a hospital green gown. She had one hand to her lip, like she was contemplating something. Her red hair was astray, yet somehow still radiant, her eyes a deep blue with a green tint. Ethan was certain; the woman in front of him was his son's wife. She turned at the sound of his footsteps, silently watching him approach her. As he got close to her he was about to speak, but she spoke first.

"Ethan."

"How did you know it was me?" Ethan said, chuckling lightly, forcibly.

"For someone who supposedly isn't Ash's biological father, you're his spitting image… For a second I thought you were him."

Ethan smiled solemnly. "I'm sorry to disappoint."

Misty forced a smile. "You're not… It's an honour to finally meet you."

"Likewise," Ethan replied. "I just wish the circumstances were better."

Misty nodded sadly, turning her head back to the door. "Wondering whether to go in?" She looked back at her father-in-law and nodded once more.

"I've seen him on the brink of death before, but… it doesn't get any easier. Especially as this time…" she paused, her final words coming out barely higher than a whisper. "This time it's all my fault."

Ethan's head jerked away from the doorway in front of him to fragile woman beside him. She was staring at the door again, biting her fingernails, her eyes pooled with tears. He may have just physically met her, but having spent the last thirteen years reading over Ash's letters about her, he felt like he'd known her for decades.

"Misty," Ethan said firmly. "It was not your fault."

"That hyper beam was meant for me. It was my ex-fiancé," she spat the words like venom in her mouth. "That fired it."

"I know the whole story Misty; I've heard it all from Delia. Ash wanted to be the superhero, Misty; he wouldn't be my son if he didn't want to do that, that's just who he is. You may not have wanted it, but he damn sure wanted to rescue you. Plus Misty, if that beam had hit you, you wouldn't be a mother right now, Ash wouldn't be a father. And trust me, losing you and the baby would have killed him a lot more than a hyper beam." His words were blunt but true, and he knew Misty needed to hear them. For the first time in minutes, she looked him in the eye.

"You're speaking from experience, aren't you? Wanting to be the superhero… That was you with Delia."

Ethan sighed, not surprised Misty knew as Delia had informed him. "You got me."

There was a heavy pause between the pair, not necessarily uncomfortable, more contemplative. Misty continued her inner battle as to whether to enter Ash's room whilst Ethan looked over the woman for a moment. "You know, I've been meaning to thank you."

"For what?" Misty scoffed, holding back her desire to scold herself again for the day's events.

"I thought my love with Delia was unique, special, and the day Ash was born I hoped he would get to experience a love like that also. I got to watch him fall in love with you, in fact, Delia and I knew before he did I think. Every week I'd get a letter from him and there was always at least a sentence, sometimes a full paragraph, about you. Even after you left, he'd manage to slip you in somehow; he'd seen something that reminded him of you, you'd spoken on the phone, or he just asked how to cope when you miss someone so much. That was when I knew you and him would have what Delia and I had, except, I didn't expect it to be so scarily similar in circumstance."

Misty smiled softly, then after a moment said. "In that case," prompting a 'hmm' from Ethan. "Are you completely sure that Ash isn't yours, biologically?"

Ethan chuckled slighty, ironically, almost, given the situation. "There is a very, very minuscule chance that he is. There was one night, before Delia and I ran off together. I'm not sure if she knew she loved me then."

"She never told me about that, she seemed so sure he wasn't yours…"

Ethan smiled sadly. "She was very cynical back then, understandably. Ash brought light back into her world. I think she figured the chance was so small there was no use getting her hopes up."

Misty was silent after that, nodding for a moment. She locked eyes with Ethan.

"Are you going in?"

Ethan smiled at her, comfortingly. "No, _we_ are. I can tell you want to see him, but you're letting your fear and guilt get the better of you. That's not the Misty I've heard so much about."

With a faint agreement, Misty tentatively followed Ethan into the room. Nothing could prepare either of them for what they saw, and no matter how many times Misty had seen Ash dance with death, it never seemed to break her heart as much as that moment.

She'd never seen him so lifeless, so pale. He had so many wires connected to him, including a heart monitor that was beeping constantly in the background. His chest was bare, and Misty could make out the size of the large wound despite it being bandaged. She clasped her hand to her mouth, the clap of contact to her skin catching Ethan's attention, but he couldn't tear his eyes from Ash.

"I can see why it never gets easier," Ethan murmured, the beeping of the heart monitor almost mocking him. The pair stood for a moment, staring at the lifeless Ash before them, bruised, bloody and broken, and wept for the one they cared so much about.

* * *

They'd pulled up chairs about half an hour previously, and then sat in silence, apart from the constant beeping of the heart monitor taunting them. Misty was holding Ash's hand in her own, while Ethan sat beside her, staring at his son's face, regretting all the years he'd missed with him.

"Misty," Ethan whispered. "I need to go find Delia. I don't want her to see Ash like this... Not yet. Are you okay here alone?"

Misty nodded gently, giving him a reassuring smile before he left. The man looked back over his shoulder at his son and daughter-in-law solemnly before closing the door gently behind him. With the click of the door shutting, Misty sighed softly. She brought her free hand to Ash's face, and stroked it gently.

"So I met your dad," she said to Ash's lifeless form. "He's a very nice man, clearly loves you a lot," Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "I wish you were here Ash, today should be a happy day…" She paused, tears falling down her cheeks. "We're parents, Ash. You're a father. I'm so sorry you missed it, you missed it because of me," She began to sob now, burying her face against the bedside, her words muffled by the sheet. "I love you, Ash. I love you so much."

Her sobbing subsided slightly as she gasped, as the heart monitor suddenly began to beep at a different rate…

* * *

**A/N: I've left you with yet another cliffhanger, I'm really sorry! I didn't plan for this at all. However, we've now met Ash's dad, yay! It might seem a bit weird that I did a u-turn on him not being his biological dad, but for some reason every time I imagined Ethan he looked a lot like Ash, so I wanted to flirt with the possibility that he _could_ be Ash's dad. Plus, I've got a bit of a soft spot for Ethan already, whoops. Anyway, I'm rambling, I'll stop. The next chapter, Ash's fate will be revealed...**


	18. Chapter 18

The constant beep of the heart monitor was deafening. Panicked, Misty rose from her chair and it slid across the floor with a screech. Almost entirely in sync, a doctor burst in through the door, followed by a nurse with a crash cart.

"What's happening?" Misty cried as she stepped out of the way of the cart.

"He's crashing," the doctor said, as they prepared the metal plates.

Misty took another step back in shock. "Oh god," she breathed. "No…"

The door opened violently once more to reveal Delia, behind her was Ethan, angrily calling her back.

"Ash, no!" she cried, desperately trying to get closer to him, but Ethan grabbed her shoulder.

"Let the doctor help him, honey," Ethan murmured to her, all the while not removing his eyes from Ash.

"Clear!" the doctor yelled as the nurse placed the metal pads to Ash's chest. He jerked, but the heart monitor continued to flat line. _Three_

Delia and Misty watched on in complete horror, Ethan squeezed his wife's shoulder tightly in reassurance, but at the same time, in his own need for comfort. He glanced at Misty, who was stood in the corner of the room, paralyzed with fear.

"Clear!" the doctor yelled again, and the nurse repeated the action. Again, no response from Ash's crashing body. _Two_

Brock and Gary entered at this point, their expressions both turning to despair upon realisation of what was happening. Brock immediately went to Misty's side, wrapping his arms around her reassuringly.

"He'll be okay Misty, he'll be okay," Brock whispered, but his voice betrayed him and cracked.

"Come on kid, you can do this," the doctor spoke to the lifeless Ash. "One last time," he said to the nurse.

Misty couldn't take anymore. "I can't do this," she whispered, and fled the room. No-one blamed or stopped her.

"I'll go," Gary said, following after her, grateful to be away from the situation also. Brock watched him go, and glanced at Delia and Ethan, who were holding onto each other tightly, their faces cloaked in despair as they watched their only child on the edge of death.

"Clear!" the doctor yelled. _One_

Ash's body jerked, and for a moment, the room was still. Time stopped. No-one dared move, or even breathe. Then, they heard it.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

He was still alive.

* * *

Delia had gone straight to find Misty and Gary to tell them Ash was once again stable. Misty had then proceeded to sob on her mother-in-law, and Gary politely excused himself. The males of the group then decided they would take a rota; someone would sit with Ash at all times, just in case something happened again.

It was Brock's turn. Ethan had sat with him for a good two hours since the incident. He too had been shaken by it. Seeing his only child on the brink of death was not something he'd hoped to see, and the image was haunting him. As Brock entered the room for his shift with Ash, he saw that Ethan had completely had the life sucked out of him; the once optimistic, cheery, kind man, was now an empty shell, plagued by his fears. Brock suggested he go and see his granddaughter, the only flame keeping hope burning the group. Ethan nodded, and left, wordlessly.

Brock took Ethan's seat and stared at Ash. He began to wonder how Misty and the baby would cope without Ash, given that the doctors were beginning to lose hope. He imagined the baby having no-one to help her take her first steps, or teach her to ride a bike. He imagined Misty crying herself to sleep every night in her otherwise empty bed. He imagined their daughter getting married, and, like Misty, having no father to walk her down the aisle.

Hours after it all started, Brock snapped. He bowed his head and sobbed, he allowed himself to release the sorrow, the grief, the bitter regret that he'd let build up inside of him over the last twenty-four hours. He cried and cried, emotion finally enveloping him entirely. Then, a voice stopped him.

"Brock?"

It was barely a word, more of a croak. At first, Brock was sure he'd dreamt it. He looked up slowly, and for a split-second, believed his eyes were lying to him. Ash's eyes were slightly agape, looking right at him. "Why are you crying?"

"Ash?" Brock breathed, his voice conveying disbelief. He reached out his hand to stroke Ash's face, like he believed he was simply a figment of his imagination.

"Brock, what are you doing?" Ash hissed, coughing afterwards, clearly still weak.

"Sorry," Brock said, quickly withdrawing his hand. "You were dead… you were dead!" he cried. "Two hours ago, just over, you were dead!"

Ash contemplated for a moment. "Huh."

"We were all losing hope! And now, you're asking why I'm crying?!" he paused, exhaling heavily. "God I've never been happier to see you, buddy."

"You're kind of a sight for sore eyes, yourself," Ash joked. "Urgh, I feel like I've been hit by a bus, twenty times."

"You were hit by a hyper beam," Brock explained.

Ash nodded slowly, regretting it instantly when he realised how much it hurt. "That's what that was…"

"Yeah it-" Brock began, but he was interrupted.

"It was Ben, wasn't it?" Ash asked. Not waiting for an answer, a realisation suddenly dawned on him. "Oh my god, is Misty okay? Is the baby okay?"

He sat up in panic, pain no longer restraining him; his concern for his family exceeded it.

"Ash, calm down," Brock said. "Misty's fine, and the baby's fine."

Ash slumped back down into his bed. "Oh thank God," he breathed. "I'm gonna kill Ben with my bare hands, I swear."

Brock shuffled in his seat uncomfortably. "Ash… Ben's dead."

"What? How?" Ash murmured.

"He killed himself."

Ash paused for a moment, allowing the information to digest. "Cowardly prick."

Brock chuckled lightly. "That's what I said."

Silence fell between the pair for a moment, Ash looked deep in thought, almost angry. Brock watched him intently then said. "I'll go let Misty know you're okay."

"Was she upset?" Ash asked, as Brock stood. The elder looked down at his friend, wondering whether to give him the true answer. He sighed.

"I've never seen her look so devastated in her life… She was blaming herself."

"But it wasn't her fault!" Ash cried, sitting up quickly then groaning in pain. Brock looked at him in disapproval, pushing him gently by the shoulders back into the bed.

"We all know Ash. We know."

Brock went to leave, but Ash's voice stopped him once more.

"Brock… How's the baby?"

Brock smiled softly at his oldest friend. "Perfect."

* * *

In Misty's room, Ethan and Delia were sat with her. Ethan was staring intently at the newborn, while Delia was sat on Misty's bed with her, rubbing her shoulders reassuringly. Brock opened the door, and all heads turned in his direction.

"He's awake."

The words changed the atmosphere in the room in an instant. Delia and Misty began to cry with joy, and Ethan brought Brock in for a hug. The joy in the room was infectious.

"The doctor was going in to check him over as I left… He said he only wants one person with him at the time for the moment, given how weak he is."

Everyone nodded, and Delia turned to Misty. "You go."

Misty looked stunned. "No, Delia, you should…"

Delia shook her head defiantly. "He'll be worried about you. I'm sure Brock's told him you're fine, but he'll still be worried. Go on."

With words of gratitude, Misty left, and despite not being fully recovered, ran the entire way to Ash's room. Brock, Ethan and Delia shared relieved smiles, and Delia shut her eyes contently.

"That's my boy," she breathed.

* * *

"I'll be back in a couple of hours," the doctor said, smiling at Ash as he went to leave.

"Thank you, Doctor," Ash replied, reflecting his smile. He was propped up in bed now, but had been told to rest. Nearly as soon as the door shut, it opened again. Misty stood in the doorway, her eyes pooled with tears, her sunset hair dishevelled, stood in one of the green hospital gowns Ash was wearing.  
"Misty," Ash breathed. She stared at him for a few moments, like she didn't truly believe he was real. Then she rushed to him, throwing herself at him, holding him as tightly as she could. She sobbed on his shoulder, and Ash stroked her hair lovingly, whispering soothingly in her ear.

"Shush, it's okay Mist, I'm here. I'm here."

"You scared me to death," Misty sobbed. "I really thought I'd lost you this time."

She pulled back slightly, holding his face in her hands. "What happened to not being reckless anymore?"

Ash smiled gently, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "I'll always be reckless when it comes to protecting you and the baby."

Misty sighed softly, resting her forehead against his. "I'm so glad you're okay. Tracey and Daisy, May, Dawn and everyone have been calling a lot, asking for updates. Even Lance and the others have been calling nearly every hour."

Ash smiled slightly. "That's nice of them…" he frowned. "Misty, I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" Misty asked, running a hand through his hair gently.

Ash took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did, then as he exhaled, he allowed the words to fall from his lips. "I gave up my title."

Misty's mouth gaped open, and she stammered back a little in surprise. "What? But it was your dream…"

"Yeah, _was._ Besides, I realised my dream; I'll always be a Champion, even if I'm not the current one."

"W-when did you resign?" Misty stammered.

"A day or two before the opening ceremony; I told Lance this league would be my last. He said that was fine, and he'd take over if I wasn't beaten."

Misty was clearly still shocked. She was speechless, confused, shaking her head and muttering incoherently. "But… Why did you give up your dream?"

Ash looked her directly in the eyes. "Because it turned it to be more of a nightmare. Sure, getting there was great, my first night as Champion was amazing, but after that… I've come to realise how much trouble it's caused me. If I hadn't been Champ, that stupid story about me sleeping with a fan-girl wouldn't have got out, we wouldn't have broken up, you wouldn't have met Ben and been abused… We'd be married, we'd be happy and safe." He paused. "Granted, I didn't know I would at the time when I resigned, but I also wouldn't have missed the birth of my child…" He was crying now, and Misty clasped his hands in her own. "The dream was juvenile, an immature interruption of a harsh reality. If I'd known how much pain it'd have caused us, I would have never gone for it. So, Misty, that's why I resigned. I fucked things up for us, but now, I'm going to be there for you, and the baby, full time. Nothing else matters to me; you and the baby are my dream."

Misty was crying too now, "Oh, Ash," she sobbed, enveloping him her arms once more. "I really, really wish you'd been there, but we can't change time now. We just have to be grateful she's okay."

Ash pulled back, looking into her eyes like he'd just been drenched in happiness. "She?" he paused. "We have a daughter?"

Misty's face turned to shock, "Oh no, I thought you knew, oh my goodness I'm so sor-"

She never got to finish her sentence, as Ash silenced her lips with his own. They kissed each other so tenderly, so passionately, as tears rolled down their cheeks. They cried for their loss, but also for their gain. Ash pulled away softly, then said.

"I want to meet her… now."

"The doctor's won't like it Ash, you're meant to be resting…"

"Screw 'em, I need to see my daughter!"

Misty was about to reply when the door opened to reveal Brock.

"You guys okay?" he asked kindly, seeing their tear sodden faces.

"I'm great, I'm going to see my daughter," Ash said, attempting to get out of the bed. Misty stood, going to scold him, but Brock placed a hand on her shoulder, silencing her.

"I'll get them to get you a wheelchair…" Misty said, defeated, but willingly defeated.

Ash shook his head. "I'm fine."

Brock and Misty went to either side to help him, much like Tracey and Misty had during their adventure with Lugia in the Orange Islands. Also similar to that time, Ash shook them off.

"The doctor told me that the baby was in an incubator, and it was a miracle she survived so much stress. If my little newborn baby girl can do that, then I walk on my own to go and see her."

Misty smiled proudly at him, and Brock teared up a little. They agreed, but kept a short distance from him as he walked.

* * *

They eventually reached the room, Delia and Ethan were still sat watching over the baby. When the door opened, Delia was flabbergasted.

"Ash! Oh honey, I'm so glad you're alright," she cried, enveloping him in a hug, tears flowing down her cheeks. He hugged back, weakly, his purpose temporarily forgotten.

"Sorry for worrying you, Mom."

She pulled back, holding him at arm's length. "But what on Earth are you doing out of bed? You're meant to be resting!"

Ethan stood from the bed, "He wants to see his child. It's understandable."

"Dad?" Ash said, looking at his father, a huge grin on his face.

"Hey there, sport," Ethan said, pulling him into a hug. "Gave us all a bit of fright, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry, Dad, but-" Ash began, but stopped when Ethan chuckled slightly.

"No need to be sorry, kiddo. I'd have done the same," he said, glancing at Misty, who smiled back slightly, knowingly. "You've got a very beautiful kid there, Ash," he said, turning to the incubator. "You've made me a very happy grandfather."

At that, Ash wordlessly began to slowly step toward the incubator. He placed his hands on the metal bars for support, and looked down at the tiny baby resting there. She was perfect, in every single way.

"Hey there, little Pichu," he whispered. "I'm your daddy."

Misty joined his side, placing a hand on his arm. "Oh, Mist, she's amazing."

At his words, the baby stirred, and opened her gorgeous little eyes, meeting her father's. He laughed happily. "She's got your eyes, Mist."

Misty smiled, rubbing her hand on the baby's chest softly. "Yeah, but apart from that, she's all you."

Ash paused for a moment. "I wish I could hold her."

Misty smiled brightly. "You can, sweetheart. Go sit on that chair."

Ash obeyed, and sat on the armchair. Misty untied the back of his gown slightly, allowing more neck room. Ash asked her what she was doing, and she just told him to be patient. She reached into the incubator, and gently removed the tiny child, smiling down at her with motherly affection. She carried her to Ash.

"She needs to lay under your gown, with her head resting just under your neck," Misty explained. "She needs skin-to-skin contact to keep her warm. Your body heat will help her."

Ash simply nodded, and Misty helped him manoeuvre the baby into position.

"Hold her head," Misty said softly. Ash nodded and did so, looking at the small baby in awe. Eventually, the baby was happily in position. She stared up at Ash in interest, and he looked down at her proudly.

"Hello, darling," he said, kissing the top of her tiny head, then paused. "You need a name…"

"Alora," Misty said, suddenly, stood beside the chair.

"Oh, Alora's a beautiful name!" Delia gushed. Ethan agreed too. Ash looked at Misty in confusion.

"I thought you weren't sure of Alora?"

Misty sighed, kneeling down so she was at the height of the baby, and stroked her head softly. "She's definitely better than the best to get through what she did. I warmed to it."

Ash smiled at her, then down at the baby on his chest. "Hello, Alora. Isn't your name as beautiful as you are?"

Ash continued to stare at her for a moment, then broke down. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to say hi when you first arrived. From now on, I'll be here every single second you need and want me."

Misty wrapped her arms around him, holding onto him tightly as he cried lightly. Brock, Delia and Ethan watched the little family, all silently praying this was the start of a happier life for them.

* * *

**A/N: Like I'd really kill Ash? I honestly don't think I could do it, I'd be too upset haha. I really hoped you enjoyed the chapter, I know it was a little depressing at the start, sorry about that :P I think there's only a couple of chapters left in this now :( I've enjoyed writing this so much... Anyway, I'll stop rambling. I hope you enjoyed the chapter :) Thank you all again for the support!**


	19. Chapter 19

A few weeks later, the day came for Ash to be discharged from the hospital, and his daughter was finally ready to go home too.

"You all ready?" Misty asked as she approached her husband, a delicate smile on her lips. Ash was signing the discharge forms at the ICU reception Once he'd finished, he beamed at his wife.

"Yup!" he said, and then smiled at the little baby in her arms. "Funny how you and daddy got better around the same time, isn't it?"

Misty smiled whimsically. "I have a feeling you're going to be alike in more ways than that."

"C'mon, Mist, let's go home," Ash said, chuckling as he latched on her arm in a way that reminded her of the time he'd caught his Caterpie, then ran for the exit. Misty yelled at him disapprovingly, but she was giggling, keeping tight hold of the little baby in her other arm. They almost knocked a nurse over on the way out, but she just smiled after them, happy that the family were finally getting a happy ending.

* * *

They reached the doorway to Delia's house. Misty was about to open it when Ash stopped her, standing on the bottom step of the porch.

"Hold on Mist," he said, then turned his attention to the baby in his arms. "This, my little Pichu, will be your very first home; it was my very first home too! I hope you love it as much as I do… There's many happy memories here, and I'm sure there's many more to come."

Misty smiled at her husband, touched by his words. "Can we go in now?" she said, giggling.

Receiving confirmation from her husband, Misty opened the door and Ash was left stunned as he heard a chorus of 'Surprise!' Brock, Suzy, May, Drew, Dawn, Paul, Iris, Cilan, Daisy, Tracey, Gary, Professor Oak, his mother and father as well as the Elite Four members and Lance were gathered in his living room for a surprise welcome home party for himself and Alora.

May squealed and rushed toward Ash, who smiled bashfully in response. The family were still stood in the doorway, overwhelmed by the attention.

"May, I hope you weren't-"

"She is SO cute!" May cooed, and was soon joined by Dawn and Iris, looking down at the gorgeous baby Ash was holding. Misty patted his shoulder reassuringly as he hung his head.

"Get used to it, mister, there's someone cuter around now," she said, with a wink.

"You still like me, right Mist?" Ash said, feigning hurt.

She giggled. "Not as much as Alora, but sure."

"Like, oh my gosh! Hello again, gorgeous!" Daisy said, tickling the baby's tummy. "Oh Tracey, look how cute she is! Please, can we have one of these?" she turned to Misty. "Although, by the look of it, it'll totally wreck my figure…"

Misty scowled at her and Daisy giggled. "Only kidding baby sis, you look amazing, as you always do. You know you're gorgeous, just not as gorgeous as this little cutie!" Daisy said, turning her attention back to Alora. "Auntie Daisy is going to buy you so much stuff!"

"Looks like you've got your work cut out, buddy," Ash muttered to Tracey. Tracey sighed.

"Tell me about it…"

Misty turned to Daisy. "It's a shame Violet and Lily have that shoot, they've still not seen Alora!"

"I've sent them like, tons of pictures, don't worry," Daisy smiled. "They love her as much as I do! They said they can't wait to come home and see her."

Misty smiled, pleased her sisters were taking on the role of aunts so well. Suddenly, she noticed a little yellow mouse enter the room from the kitchen, wondering what the commotion was all about.

"Pikachu!" she called happily.

"Pikachupi!" the mouse cried, rushing toward her and bounding into her arms. She giggled as Pikachu began to lick her face in joy. Ash scowled.

"Thanks a lot, Pikachu," he muttered.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu said, bounding onto his shoulder and nuzzling his face. Ash chuckled.

"Good to see you too, buddy."

"Pi?" the mouse said, looking down at the little girl that Ash was holding. Ash smiled at his first Pokémon.

"Pikachu, this is Alora."

The Pokémon was curious. He scaled down Ash's arm to be level with the baby, earning disapproval from Lance.

"Ash, you shouldn't let Pokémon so close to the baby!"

Ash looked at the former Champ with his usual smirk. "I trust Pikachu, as does Mist, don't worry."

Pikachu sniffed the child, intrigued; she smelt a bit like Pikapi, but also like Pikachupi. It was a nice scent. The baby regarded the electric Pokémon intently; this was the first Pokémon she'd ever seen. She reached for his fur, which surprised Pikachu at first, but when he realised she meant no harm he allowed her to stroke him, earning a smile from the baby, and a happy 'Cha!' from Pikachu.

"Aw, I'm so glad you like her, Pikachu!" Misty said, stroking the Pokémon proudly. Pikachu responded in its own language and Ash chuckled.

"She won't be able to play for a while yet, buddy."

Again, Pikachu responded and Ash smiled appreciatively at his partner. "You'll help take care of her? That's really nice, Pikachu."

"Pikachu," Pikachu replied, smiling at its owner happily.

* * *

"Brock, will you let me hold her now?" May whined.

"Yeah Brock, you've had her for like an hour!" Dawn agreed.

"No!" Brock said, defiantly. He was sat on the Ketchum's couch, surrounded by broody females wanting to hold Alora. "She's my beautiful little niece, and I will hold her for as long as I want!"

Delia, Iris and Misty watched on from the side of the room, giggling.

"I think Brock's attached already," Delia smiled. "And who can blame him?"

Ash caught sight of Gary in the corner of the room near the stairs, sipping his drink absentmindedly and staring at Alora. He walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You alright, Gary?"

Gary looked startled, like he'd been in a trance. "Yeah, yeah," he stammered. "I'm fine."

Ash raised his eyebrows. "You're looking at Alora like she's a bomb ready to go off. What's up?"

Gary paused for a moment, staring Ash down, and then turned his attention back to Alora. "I've just been thinking about what you asked me in the ambulance."

Ash was surprised by his response, but nodded anyway. "Okay…"

"I couldn't have done it," Gary admitted. "You know I'd do almost anything for you, but I don't think I could do that; it wouldn't be right."

"Guess it's lucky you don't have to then," Ash chuckled. Gary frowned.

"You need to be more careful from now on, Ash. You have a family," he nodded to Misty. "She's your soul mate; she was yours from the day you met. I mean, how amazing is that? That woman has loved you since she was ten years old, and here you are, over ten years later, married with a baby."

"I'm incredibly lucky," Ash admitted. "I know that. She deserves a lot better than me."

Gary shook his head. "She doesn't. What you two have…" he trailed off, fixating his gaze back on the baby. He sighed. "I guess… I guess it was a wake-up call for me, you asking me to raise the kid as my own if you died. There's is no way I could; she's yours, same for Misty, and that's the way it is."

Ash nodded, he paused for a moment, and then placed his hand back on Gary's shoulder. "I know I asked a lot of you. I was desperate. I thought I was going to die, and I didn't want to leave my wife and unborn child with no-one to support them. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have put that pressure on you; I can't force you to love Misty, and I can't force you to raise my baby if you'd feel guilty about it. I'm sorry, Gary."

"I understand why you did it. I'm just telling you for future reference that we would support them both, all of us, without me needing to steal your wife and child from you."

Ash smiled softly. "That's good to know."

"Anyway, I guess you asking me that made me realise… How much I want my own wife and kids, you know?" Gary said, smiling very slightly for a second.

"Wow, Mr Gary Lothario Oak wants to settle down, huh? Never thought I'd see the day."

Gary shrugged. "Yeah, well, think it's time I grew up."

Ash nodded, impressed by Gary's maturity. "Well, for now, are you happy being Uncle Gary?"

Gary smirked at his old friend. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

Brock was sulking. After much protest, the girls had finally managed to extract the infant from Brock's arms. Suzy was giggling sympathetically at her husband's reaction, patting his shoulder gently.

"Oh honey, you'll get to hold her again soon," Suzy said. Brock sighed, turning to face her.

"Yeah, I guess…" he paused. "Suz," he murmured. "Are you sure we're not ready for one of those?"

Suzy looked back at the girls. May was holding Alora now, while Dawn begged for a turn. In the corner of her eye she saw Misty, watching over in a happy yet maternal manner. She watched as Ash came over, wrapped his arm around her waist, and placed a kiss to her cheek. She smiled, but didn't tear her gaze from the baby, and Ash followed her trial of sight to watch over his child too. Suzy smiled softly, and then turned back to Brock.

"You know what? Let's go for it."

* * *

"She's pretty amazing isn't she?" Ethan said, kissing his wife on the forehead. Delia kept her eyes on her granddaughter.

"She's just incredible," Delia sighed, contently. Ethan chuckled.

"She looks so cute in that little cardigan you knitted her too."

Delia had knitted the baby so many clothes during her stay in the hospital, but today the baby's attire included a little yellow cardigan, with a Pichu stitched on the right side. The grandparents watched happily for a moment as Ash and Misty cooed over their child. As Ash stood from the sofa, suddenly dashing up the stairs, Ethan turned to Delia.

"Delia…" he began, causing her to face him. "I'm done with my research."

Delia's eyes widened. "What? But Ethan…"

"No buts," Ethan insisted. "I missed too much of Ash's childhood. I want to be here from now on, and not miss anything else. I want to get to know Misty, and spend time with Ash. I want to watch Alora grow up. So, a few weeks ago, I retired."

"Oh Ethan," Delia said, throwing herself into his arms. "It's going to be so nice to have you here all the time; Ash is going to be overjoyed!"

At the sound of his name, Ash came charging back down the stairs like a hyperactive Rattata, then jumped back onto the sofa next to Misty and Alora.

"Here, little Pichu," Ash said, smiling down at his daughter. "I got you this a while ago."

He handed her the little Pichu doll he'd bought for her all those months ago. The child smiled at it, causing Ash and Misty to giggle happily, and then cuddled it close to her chest as she fell asleep.

* * *

Later that night, everyone had left, having said their congratulations to Ash and Misty and how pleased they were he and Alora had recovered. Ash was ecstatic that his dad was finally going to be home permanently, and his father was also pleased that Ash had realised, much earlier than he had, that family is the most important thing. Delia had cooked a lovely meal for the four adults, while the baby slept upstairs. Ash had taken to being a father amazingly well, and the second Alora began to stir he abandoned his food (a sight none of the three remaining adults _ever_ expected to see) and dashed upstairs to see if she was okay.

Misty raised her eyebrows at her in-laws, a smile gracing her features. "Well, that's new!"

Delia grinned back. "It's amazing what becoming a father does to a man."

Delia had never felt so happy, apart from the day Ash was born, she was sure of it. Seeing Ash and Misty properly reunited and back to normal, having her husband home for good and all four of them sat together for dinner was a situation she never expected to have. As Ash talked animatedly to his dad about what they'd both been up to in their time apart, Delia smiled softly, feeling content. She had her family back, with a gorgeous new little addition.

* * *

A couple of hours later, everyone retreated to bed. Misty was snoozing softly; having her baby and husband home meant she got to sleep easily for the first time in months. Pikachu was by her feet, snoring gently at the foot of the double air bed the family still slept in. Ash laid beside his wife, wide awake. He'd spent weeks just sleeping, so lately he was finding it hard to let slumber overcome him. He rolled over to glance at the little cot beside him, the cot he once slept in, and watched his daughter sleep peacefully. He got up out of his bed, carefully so as to not wake Misty or Pikachu, and placed his hands on the side of crib. He looked down at his daughter and smiled; she was wearing a very cute Charmander onesie that Gary had bought her. Using one of his fingers, he gently stroked the top of head. In that moment, Ash wondered what would become of her; would she love Pokémon as much as him? Would she be a trainer, a co-oridinator, a breeder? Would she want to be a Master like her father, or something more concrete, like an Elite Four member, like her mother? Leaving himself to dream of the possibilities, Ash climbed back into bed beside his sleeping wife, snuggling up to her for the first time in weeks, before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: God this chapter is fluffy, which I felt you all deserved after all the drama. I can't believe there's only one chapter left *sob* Hope you all enjoyed the fluff! The final instalment of 'Do's and Don't's' is coming soon :)**


	20. Chapter 20

_Ten Years Later..._

A lot had happened in the past decade for Ash, Misty and their family and friends.

Gary got his wish, and settled down five years after Alora was born with his wife, Leaf. With his grandfather finally retired, seeing Gary married made Samuel feel his grandson could cope with the responsibility of the lab, and passed his research facility onto him. So, Pallet Town is still the home of an infamous 'Professor Oak.' Gary and Leaf had a baby two years ago, a little girl named Rose. Misty had cooed over the child, while Ash raised his eyebrows and asked if they were going keep the nature theme within the entire family, but nonetheless, couldn't deny the little girl was a cutie.

Daisy and Tracey, like Daisy had wanted, had a baby about a year after she became an aunt. They too had a little girl, which Daisy was ecstatic about, gushing to Misty about her and Alora could be best friends. She named her daughter Misty, which both flattered and bemused Misty at the same time. Daisy had told her she wanted her daughter to be like her aunt; strong, independent as well as gorgeous. Four years ago they had another baby, Christian, named after Daisy and her sisters' father. Meanwhile, Violet and Lily, though happy to be aunts, decided that was all they wanted to be, and continued with their modelling and acting careers. Daisy, meanwhile, is still the Cerulean Gym Leader, whilst Tracey still works at Oak's lab, and is also a freelance artist.

True to his word, Ethan stayed home, and discovered that it was far more rewarding than he imagined. He and Misty found they had a mutual interest in fishing, and quite often went together while Delia and Ash watched over Alora. Eventually, Alora reached an age where she could join, and she loved it as much as her mother. Delia adored being a grandmother, and bonded with her granddaughter extremely well. They often baked together, went shopping together, or did the gardening.

May and Drew, Paul and Dawn and Iris and Cilan also raised their own families, and quite often come to the Kanto region so their children could play and grow up together.

Brock and Suzy, similar to Daisy and Tracey, also became parents just under a year after Ash and Misty did. Suzy gave birth to a baby boy, named Brandon, to whom Ash and Misty are godparents. Brock loved being a father, but also cherished his role as an uncle to Alora. The pair became very close, as did Alora and Brandon. Brock now runs his own Pokémon Centre in Pewter City, which has provided new techniques in Pokémon care, causing trainers from all over the globe to swarm to the rock city to visit. Suzy still runs her salon, and their daughter, Emily, born six years ago, is already keen to help her mother out and learn the ways of the trade herself. Brandon, meanwhile, has his heart set on becoming a trainer and loves talking to Ash about his journeys and time as Champion.

Misty is still a member of the Elite Four, and is now the forth, and considered the toughest, member. Ash, meanwhile, found a love for teaching young children about Pokémon, and set up a Pokémon school in Pallet. The kids love his stories about how Pikachu used to hate him, and giggled when he told the tale about trying to fight a Pidgeotto with a Caterpie. Being good friends with Gary also had its advantages, as he would take the children on trips to visit the Pokémon at the lab, and learn how to interact and care for them before receiving their own Pokémon the following summer. Ash wasn't ready to let entirely go of the League, and still helps the Elite Four train before a League begins, and is a member of the League Committee.

* * *

"You all ready to go sweetie?" Misty asked, kneeling down to her daughter's height. Alora stood in the doorway of their quaint home in Pallet, just a few doors down from her grandparent's house. She was quite tall for her age, probably similar to Misty's height when she was ten. She had hair as dark as the midnight sky that reached just passed her shoulders and eyes of cerulean. She was wearing shorts similar to those her mother had on her own journeys, with a black vest top and a blue and white sailor-style jacket as well as a pair of red trainers. Brock had bought the outfit for her, trying to combine both Ash and Misty's clothes from their adventure together. Around her neck was a water drop necklace Daisy had bought her, which had a striking resemblance to a Cascade badge, except it sparkled like a sapphire.

"I think so," Alora replied. Misty smiled at her daughter sympathetically; behind the glimmer of excitement in her eyes, she could see slight doubt and worry.

"You're going to be great," Misty said, kissing her daughter's forehead. "You remind me so much of your father, and he's one of the greatest trainers I've ever met."

"You really think so?" Alora asked, her own cerulean eyes meeting her mother's. Misty grinned.

"I really do."

Suddenly, Ash came bounding down the staircase, carrying something, followed by his loyal companion, Pikachu. Pikachu, upon seeing the girl leaving, dropped its ears, murmuring its name sadly. Alora scooped the Pokémon in her arms, cuddling him tightly.

"I'll miss you so much, Pikachu," she whispered. "I'll call lots okay?"

Pikachu licked her face in response, causing her to giggle happily. Ash placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, who was watching on proudly. Once Pikachu had finished his farewell, Ash leant down to his daughter.

"Today's a big day, kiddo. I can't wait to find out who your very first partner will be," Ash said, smiling broadly. "It'll be a tough choice, but don't worry, Professor Oak will take good care of you," he said with a wink.

"Just 'cause I'm his niece," Alora said, rolling her eyes and smiling.

Ash chuckled. "Don't you worry, if you were late, you'd get last choice..."

Misty scoffed. "Yeah, like you!" causing Ash to respond with 'Hey!'

Alora giggled at her parent's playful arguing. "Yeah, Dad, you didn't have to wake me up at five this morning, I didn't get your laziness…"

The trio shared a laugh, and then Ash turned back to his daughter. "Now, have you got your Pichu, my little Pichu?"

"Daaaaaaad!" Alora moaned, causing Misty to giggle under her breath; she sounded so much like Ash used to with his mother. "I'm ten now, I don't need a cuddly toy... And aren't I a little old to be called 'little Pichu?'"

Ash smiled, ruffling her raven hair. "You could be seventy-years-old and you'd still be my little Pichu, kiddo. Now, have you got Pichu?"

Alora rolled her eyes, but grinned. "Yes..."

"Have you got your lure?" Misty asked. Alora grinned at her, and pulled the lure from her pocket. Like Misty's lure, it was a mini replica of herself. Misty beamed at her. "That's my girl!"

"There's one last thing," Ash said. "Have you got clean underwear?"

The family burst into laughter once more, knowing Ash was imitating his mother; she'd given Alora the same talk she'd given Ash two decades ago the previous night. "Seriously though, there is one last thing. I want to give you something, now close your eyes."

Alora obeyed, and Ash placed the item on the top of her head. "This," Ash explained. "Was the hat I wore on my very first journey, in fact, all the journeys with your mother. After she had to leave to run the gym, I gave it to her. This hat was very special to me, and I gave it to her to prove to her that she was very, very special to me too. Now, I want you to have it, because you're very, very, _very_ special to the both of us."

Alora held the hat, still on her head, with awe, knowing of its existence and appearance from photographs of her parent's adventures.

"Thanks, Dad," Alora said, reaching to give him a hug. Ash hugged her back tightly, trying to fight back tears. This day had come so quickly.

"You're going to go out there and be the very best, right?" Ash asked as they pulled back. Alora nodded determinedly.

"I'm going to be the greatest Pokémon Master of all time! It's my blood, after all," Alora said, grinning.

Ash and Misty shared knowing smiles, and then Misty leant down to give her daughter a hug.

"Call whenever you need me," Misty said, tears already rolling down her cheeks. "I love you so much, sweetie."

"I love you, Mom," Alora responded, then turned to her father. "I love you too, Dad."

"I love you so much, my little Pichu."

She scowled playfully at the name, but gave him another hug regardless.

"I better get going to Uncle Gary's lab," Alora said, hoisting her backpack on her back. "I'll miss you all so much."

"You too, darling," Misty replied. "Remember to drop in on Uncle Brock; he'd love to see you, Aunt Suzy, Brandon and Emily as well."

"Brandon should be able to join you on your journey soon, too," Ash smiled. "You'll be able to travel together, just like we did with your Uncle Brock."

Misty frowned. "I hope to Arceus that Brandon is _nothing_ like Brock used to be."

Alora furrowed her brow. "What was wrong with Uncle Brock?"

Misty stammered, avoiding a response, causing Ash to chuckle. Eventually Misty replied passively with, "Nothing, sweetheart."

Alora shrugged it off, and with one final hug, she ran off down the street, waving and yelling goodbye as she went. Ash wrapped his arm round Misty, pulling her close, as they watched their only child run off, to begin her own adventure.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Ash asked. "What if she takes after me..?" he trailed off. He knew he was a talented trainer now, two decades after his training began, but he was a pretty unqualified novice on his first adventure.

Misty giggled, holding him tightly. "Then she'll meet the love of her life on her first day. Is that such a bad thing?"

Ash smiled, placing a kiss to her forehead. "No… You're right."

"I do worry though… She's like a mini version of you… I just hope she won't be as reckless."

"If I wasn't reckless, she wouldn't be here," Ash said. Misty shivered at the thought. "If she does it with good intent, I'd be a little hypocritical to hold her back, wouldn't I?"

Misty sighed. "I swear, the pair of you are going to take ten years off my life," she said, chuckling.

"She'll be fine; she got your intelligence."

"And your determination," Misty added.

Ash smiled. "She's going to be amazing, I can feel it."

The pair returned their attention back to their daughter, a fair way into the distance now, dust flying off her feet with every step as she ran down the dirt track. Ash began to reminisce of his own journeys and adventures; the friends he'd made, the Pokémon he'd met, the places he'd seen and the experiences he'd had. He was suddenly very excited for his daughter, if not a little envious. Ash smiled softly, a little sadly, and then whispered to his daughter's retreating form.

"Go get 'em, kiddo."

**THE END**

* * *

**A/N: I'm honestly a little bit in shock right now. This is it, my first multi-chapter fanfic, done and dusted. I actually had this ready a few days ago but couldn't bring myself to end it. However, for the past few nights I've been having dreams about Pokemon and potential fic ideas, and think it's my mind's way of saying it's time to move onto something else. I just want to take this time to thank each and every one of you who read, reviewed, favourited and followed this story. Your support has been completely overwhelming and I'm so touched by the response I've gotten. Thank you all so much for everything, I hope you've enjoyed the ride as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until the next story. Much love. x**


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